Waking the dead
by Vickie-4-Books
Summary: Molly has risked a lot for Sherlock and continues to do so. All good deeds get repaid. Set after the Fall.
1. Chapter 1

It was the end of a stressful and long day and Molly was grateful to be going home was looking forward to the chilled bottle of wine in her refrigerator. She flicked the lights off and walked towards the exit pulling on her coat.

"You're wrong you know." Comes a voice, his voice, from the shadows behind her making her spin around and clutch her bag tightly. "You do count. You've always counted and I have always trusted you. But you were right. I'm not ok." He says stepping out of the shadows and molly steps forward.

"Tell me what is wrong."

"Molly I think I am going to die." He says and her blood runs cold.

"What do you need?" She asks shakily and he stares at her contemplating her for a moment.

"If I wasn't everything you think I am, everything I think I am would you still want to help me?"

"What do you need?" She says her voice more steady and he steps forward closing the gap between them.

"You." He says his eyes locked with hers and she swallows.

"What-what can I do for you?" Molly asks and he gives her a sad smile.

"I have a plan." He says and Molly nods, _of course he does, _molly thinks to herself and she nods. "I am going to fake my death." Sherlock says making Molly's eyes widen as he continues to stare at her.

"H-how?" Molly asks and Sherlock gives her a very rare smile and takes her wrist and pulls her willingly towards a stool and sits her down. She blinks up at him as he pulls a stool out for him to sit down on. He sits directly across from her their knees almost touching.

"This is where you come in Molly. I need you to see to it that I appear dead. Can you do that?" He asks and Molly frowns at him.

"Of course I can, I am a doctor you know." She says making him straighten up and his lips twitch in humour.

"I do know that." He says and she nods.

"Right, well... can I ask one question?" She asks and he nods his head slightly.

"I suppose you want an explanation?" He says reading her mind and she nods. "Your Jim wants me dead; he has already shamed me now he wants to finish the job." Molly cringes at the mention of Jim from IT but tries to ignore it.

"So he is behind what is being said in the papers?" Molly asks and Sherlock frowns at her.

"I thought you said one question." He scalds but she just shrugs and goes red.

"Yes he, Moriarty, is behind it all." He says and Molly nods.

"No one who knows you will believe that you are a fake." She says firmly and Sherlock sighs.

"How I wish that were true but for now they must believe it Molly that is imperative." He says and Molly frowns.

"Why?" She asks and Sherlock looks at the ground.

"They will move on quicker if they think I have been lying all this time."

"Why are you not telling John all of this? Why me?"

"Moriarty is going to threaten their lives, John, Mrs Hudson and Lestrade. He is going to want to me to kill myself to save them so that is what I have to do. But you see he has underestimated your roll in my life Molly. This detail alone will be _his_ downfall." He says with a pleased smile.

"I don't know if I can lie to John." I say and he frowns, "Sherlock I don't think..." Sherlock leans forward and takes Molly's hand.

"Please Molly." He says pleadingly. Molly blinks at him his eyes bright and desperate she knows in her heart that she will help him, there was really no doubt about it. It was Sherlock and he is just, well it is Sherlock she was smitten about him and she would help him in any way she could. He smiled as she battled with her conscience clearly pleased with what he saw flitting across her face. She didn't even need to answer. "Thank you Molly, you are saving many lives."

"This is real? Molly asks abruptly as Sherlock stands up he looks down at her and nods.

"It is as real as it gets." He says placing a hand on her shoulder making it the third time in five minutes he willingly touched her. She looked at her shoulder where his hand rested and then up into his icy blue eyes. "Can you do this Molly?" Sherlock asks his voice unsure wither this was too much for her to handle. She swallows hard and gets up making Sherlock drop his hand to his side.

"Yes I can do this." She said firmly.

* * *

Later that day Molly was standing in the hallway to the entrance of Bart's peering out and worrying about the crowd outside the doors and how this was going to work. The truck was there just like planned, the syringe of beta blockers heavy in her pocket and the bag of Sherlock's Blood under her arm to keep it warm.

**"Why am I taking your blood?" Molly asked as Sherlock rolled up his sleeve revealing his arm. **

**"It needs to look real." He said as he tapped his arm to raise a vein. Molly pierced his pale skin and hit a vein instantly, she secured the needle and they watched in silence as the blood dripped into the bag.**

**"How do you know John will not reach you before I am able to get to you?" Molly asked as she watched the crimson liquid fill the bag.**

**He lifted his head and looked at Molly with an exasperated look, she had been trying to pick holes in his plan for the last twenty minutes, and Molly peered at him through her eyelashes.**

**"I have distractions in place. Just you worry about killing me." He said and she looked up at him frowning.**

**"This-this isn't right Sherlock." She said and then looked away before she could see his reaction busying herself with getting cotton buds for when she removed the needle.**

**"I realise what I am asking of you is a lot." He states and Molly nods still not looking at him, "Molly if it is about money or..." Molly spun around angrily effectively stopping him mid sentence.**

**"Money?" She says loudly as she glared at him. "No Sherlock this is not about money, this is about people's feelings. My friend's feelings, you being dead is going to hurt a lot of people."**

**"They will get over it." He said with a shrug and I frown.**

**"For someone so brilliant you can be so stupid sometimes. You have no idea do you?" Molly says and he frowns.**

**"About what?" He asked looking confused about her sudden change in temper. **

**"About how much people care for you." Molly said crossing her arms and frowning at him.**

**"I know I just don't understand it." He says and molly sighs and walks over to him and pulls the needle out.**

**"I'm sorry." Molly said as she pressed the cotton ball to the crook of his elbow.**

**"Why?" He asked and Molly just stared at him and shrugged.**

There is a loud bang and Molly's heart stops in her chest. _Was that a gunshot?_ Molly thinks to herself as she quickly looks out of the window she is shocked to see that all the people from earlier are gone and the doors are clear. _"I have distractions in place._" Rings in her head as she moves towards the entrance and right on cue she hears a yell.

"Sherlock!" It is the agonised cry of John and Molly looks up and she sees him fall. His black coat billows behind him as he plummets to the earth. Molly's heart is beating rapidly and in the few seconds it takes for him to land it is close to escaping her chest.

The truck, the oh so conveniently placed truck, shudders violently when he hits into its load. Molly watches in shocked silence as she watches him quickly and clumsily clambers over the bags of laundry. He falls to the floor in a heap and stays like that. Molly rushes out to him and sees from the corner of her eyes john being hit by a bicycle.

"Now Molly!" Sherlock groans from the floor and she pulls out the syringe and injects it into his leg while emptying the blood onto his head, she sees him pass out. She looks up and sees that John is still on the floor and as other people rush out to him she backs away pretending to be a horrified bystander. She backs into the hospital and just catches a glimpse of a dazed looking John push through the crowd before she turns and runs through the hospital and down into the morgue. She slams the door shut and quickly disposes of the blood bag and needle. She rushes into her office and sits down at her desk and pretends to do some paperwork when she is really desperately trying to not cry and calm her shaking hands. She just cannot get the image of John's distraught face out of her head and she takes to counting ticks on the clock to clear her head.

* * *

Twenty seven minutes, that is how long it takes for his body to be wheeled in. She watches as his body is wheeled in by a porter who is being closely followed by a red-faced Lestrade. Molly gets up and plasters a smile on her face and exits her office. Lestrade looks at her then to the body and his shoulders sag.

"Hi Greg, what have you got for me today?" Molly says in her best calm voice. Lestrade blinks a few times before sighing heavily.

"You haven't heard?" He asks in a kind voice making Molly feel dreadfully guilty.

"Heard what?" She says with a little frown trying her best not to break down then and there and divulge the whole plan.

"It's..." Lestrade swallows and he puts his hand on Molly's shoulder and gives it a squeeze. Molly frowns at him and lifts the corner of the sheet and gasps when she reveals the bloody face of Sherlock. She throws the sheet closed and looks at Lestrade who is staring at her with watery eyes.

"How?" She asks and Lestrade retells the events to her and she cries openly allowing the stress of the day wash over her.

"I am so sorry Molly; I know how you felt for him." He says and Molly nods wiping her eyes.

"John?" Molly says with a choked voice.

"He's not great he got hit by a bike and he has had to be sedated as he was screaming." Lestrade says and Molly's tears flow again. _Poor John._

"That is awful, did he..."

"He saw him jump." Lestrade says answering his question and I nod. "Is there no one else here?" He asks looking around and Molly shakes her head.

"Just me."

"Do you... do you want me to get someone else in to do it?" Lestrade asks glancing at Sherlock's covered body.

"No I can do it. There will not be much to do." Molly says and Lestrade nods.

"I'm sorry to leave you like this Molly but I..."

"It is ok Greg."Molly says with a sniff and Lestrade hesitated before he grabs Molly in a hug and leaves without another word or another look at Sherlock's body.

As soon as Lestrade has left Molly rushes to the doors and locks them. She switches on the 'room in use' sign and hurries over to her office and grabs a bag of clothes from under her desk. She rushes back over to the trolley where Sherlock lies. She injects him with a small dose of adrenaline and feels his pulse speed up. She opens the drawer containing the John Doe she and Sherlock decided would be the decoy body and unzips his bag and grimaces at the bloody face. She shudders when she recalls Sherlock making the face almost unrecognisable.

Pulls off Sherlock's shoes and socks and jams the socks on the corpse and makes short work of pulling off Sherlock's coat and jacket. He groans slightly and she jumps, despite the fact she knew he was actually alive people don't normally make noise in the morgue and it makes her heart miss a beat before she shakes herself. She snatches up a little light and opens Sherlock's eyelid and shines it into his eye. He snaps his eyes shut again and she smiles.

"Sh-Sherlock can you hear me?"Molly says shaking his shoulders. He groans and his eyes flutter open and land on Molly's.

"Water?" He says his voice hoarse and Molly reaches for the bottle he placed there earlier, she opens it and holds it to his lips and he drinks until he has drained it. "My ribs." He says sounding more like himself and Molly frowns.

"Have you hurt them?"

"Broken, I think." He groans as he tries to sit up. Molly noticing his struggle helps him and he gives her a grateful smile. He grips his chest and tries breathing deeply and winces. "You will need to bandage them or I am not going to be able to move." He says swinging his long legs over the trolley.

"Right." Molly says and she rushes around and gathers bandages and rushes back to him as he is unbuttoning his shirt. She helps him pull his arms free and looks at his ribs. They are red and slightly swollen and she runs her hand along then feeling for anything irregular but she cannot feel anything. Sherlock sits still as she does a few checks on him and helpfully lifts his arms slightly when she starts to wrap him up. He grits his teeth as she tightens the bandages around his ribcage and she shoots him an apologetic look. She ties of the bandage with a tidy knot and Sherlock looks down at her handiwork.

"You are very good at this, why did you not stick to treatment?" He asks and she frowns.

"Is this really the time to discuss my career choices?" Molly asks slightly shocked by the fact he was trying to converse with her at that very moment.

"As good a time as any." He says with a shrug and she shakes her head in disbelief.

"I gave it up because I do not have to have conversations with dead people." She says and his eyebrows quirk up in humour at their current predicament. "Well apart from now obviously." She says trying herself not so smile.

"I am glad you chose this, where would I be without your help?" Sherlock says with a haunted look and molly shivers at the very though.

"I'm glad too." She says and he gives her one of his very rare true smiles, Molly smiles back shyly and looks away as the power of his gaze makes her blush as it always did. Sherlock hands her his shirt she takes it wordlessly and starts putting it on the decoy Sherlock. She watches as Sherlock gets gingerly to his feet and looks away when he starts to unbutton his trousers. Molly's mind ran through the many fantasies that she had about Sherlock undressing in front of her and this, when he had just faked his own death and was covered in blood was not one of them. However when she heard the whisper of the trousers falling to the floor she had to bite her lip and use every morsel of will power to not peek. The trousers are kicked over to her and she crouches down and her eyes flick over to him and catch sight of his long bare legs as he pulls on the worn jeans that were in the bag. She looks away and frowns at herself as she pulls the trousers on the decoy. Molly reluctantly keeps herself faced away from him while he continues to dress. As she is pushing Sherlock's shoes onto the decoys feet he taps her shoulder and she jumps. She drops the shoe and hurries to pick it up. She looks up at Sherlock and her mouth pops open.

"Do I look different?" Sherlock asks adjusting a blonde curly wig onto his head. Molly stares at him and he looks down at her. "Molly?"

"Yes-yes, very different." She says and she roams her eyes over his hoodie, jeans and trainers he was wearing.

"Not like myself?" He asks pulling at the top. Molly shakes her head and looks down at the decoy Sherlock who now looks more like Sherlock than the real thing standing in front of her. "And no one will ask questions?" Sherlock says looking down at the decoy.

"No I don't think so. I have written my report and with the papers you have forged from Mycroft I doubt there will be any hesitation with anything. I have called to have him, you, picked up as soon as possible." Molly says and Sherlock nods. Someone rattles on the morgue doors, Molly rushed to them and opens them and a man in a black suit enters and Molly rushes out to greet him.

"Michael, that was quick!" Molly says her voice higher and more panicked than usual. Michael looks at her and nods.

"Was told it was a special pick up so here I am." He says and he looks over to the open drawer where the decoy Sherlock is laying. He grimaces and molly rushes back over to zip up the bag and gives him an apologetic look.

"Sorry I have just finished with him." Molly says looking around nervously for Sherlock but she cannot see him anywhere. She wheels the trolley over to Michael and he stares at the bag. She hands him the file and he looks at the name and his eyebrows rise up.

"Sherlock Holmes eh?" He says and Molly nods crossing her arms around her stomach and eyeing the bag sadly. "Friend of yours?" He asks and Molly nods.

"He was." She says and he nods.

"Sorry about that. Have you been reading what they have said about him in the papers?" Michael asks and Molly frowns.

"Yes I have and you shouldn't believe everything you read." She says and Michael chews his lip obviously embarrassed about bringing the subject up. "His brother wants him cremated as soon as possible, it is all there." Molly says and Michael nods looking at the official looking government document. "He doesn't want a media circus with this and trust me you do not want to argue with his brother." Molly adds for good measure and Michael nods again.

"Right well I'll be off." He says clearing his throat. Molly nods and looks down at the body one last time before he is wheeled out. The doors swing shut and Molly starts to tremble. The severity of what she is doing has really started to hit her now she has just send the body away.

"It is out of our hands now." Sherlock says from behind her. She turns around still trembling. "Not to worry Molly, like I said I have this all planned out."

"I'm not worried I am _terrified_ Sherlock. If this gets out it will be the end of my career, I will be put in prison!" Molly says as she feels her heart speed up.

"Molly you need to calm down you're having an anxiety attack. I promise to you nothing will happen to you I will see to it you're safe." Sherlock says as Molly stares up at him helplessly.

"You promise?" She says shakily and he nods.

"I promise." He says and she nods seeing the sincerity in his eyes. "Are you ok to go on?" He asks kindly and she nods and straightens herself up.

"Yes, yes I am fine." She takes a deep breath and nods, "Let's get you out of here." She says and he smiles.

"Good girl."

"Ok you wait here for five minutes and I will meet you at the underground." Molly says as she sticks her head out of the door to check if the coast is clear and Sherlock rolls his eyes.

"Molly I know." Sherlock says and she nods.

"Of course." She says and she opens the door and looks back at him.

"Go!" Sherlock says and Molly rushes out the doors and down the hall to the elevator,_ just like every other day_. She thinks as the elevator pings and the doors slide open. When she gets to the main floor she puts her head down and she notices the whispers and looks of pity as she passes. She bumps into a doctor just before she reaches the door.

"I'm sorry." She says and she looks up at the doctor and he just gives her a little smile.

"It is ok, I am sorry to hear about your friend." He says and Molly nods and looks down at the floor fighting the urge to run.

"Thank you." She says and he pats her shoulder and lets her past. She rushes off and bursts through the entrance door and gasps for some fresh air. She quickly scans around her and she sees a police cordon around the entrance of the hospital blocking any reporters getting a good view is the scene. They are only allowing emergency vehicles through. She looks down at the ground where the stain of blood is still evident on the ground and she rushes away as fast as she can. She passes the reporters who are all craning to see the scene of Sherlock's down fall and as she passes they don't even give her a second glance. She keeps her head down as she walks down the street towards the underground.

* * *

She is standing in the crowd craning her neck to see if she can spot Sherlock but there are too many people around her. She starts to get nervous after a while and begins to wonder if she should go back, that he may be stuck, when a hand takes hers and she is pulled along behind a tall blonde man. She almost screams when her turns around and Sherlock winks at her.

"For god sake you scared me!" She hisses at him and he just squeezes her hand in response. He holds his hand out for a cab and one pulls up a few seconds later and he opens the door for her. She steps in and he follows her closely and sits right next to her and leans forward.

"King's cross mate, Goldinton Street please." He says and he sits back and throws his arm over Molly's shoulders. Molly stills and looks at him.

"H-How did you..." Molly begins but he turns to her and arches and eyebrow. "Right of course. It's you." She mutters and he chuckles.


	2. Chapter 2

The cab pulls outside Molly's building and she and Sherlock climb out of the cab.

"You got the money for this babe; I left my wallet in the house." Sherlock says making Molly frown.

"What?"

"Pay the man." Sherlock says smiling awkwardly at the cabbie who was frowning unhappily at them obviously a little concerned that they couldn't pay him. Molly snaps out of her moment of shock and digs in her bag for her purse.

"Sorry how much?" She asks and the cabbie sighs.

"Eight fifty." He says grumpily and she hands him a ten pound note.

"Keep the change." She says and he rolls his window up grumbling about townies and Sherlock waves in his window and smiles.

"Thanks man." He says and Molly frowns at him and he shrugs. "What?" He asks and she shakes her head and he just grins and bounds up the stairs and opens the door. Molly stares at him and hurriedly searches her bag for her keys and he jingles them loudly. She rushes up the stairs and Sherlock looks around the street before following her into the hallway.

"How did you get my keys?" She asks in a whisper as he leads the way to her front door.

"You really shouldn't leave your bag open." He says with a shrug and he opens the front door and marches into the house checking every room quickly as he goes. He walks straight into the living room and molly just stands in the doorway a little shell shocked. "Well come in." He says peering around the doorway and she rushes as he disappears again. "And lock the door." He says from the living room. Molly locks the door behind her and slides the chain on for good measure. She walks into the living room and Sherlock is at the windows running his hands along them and then he pulls the curtains quickly closed and proceeds to move around the room like he is looking for something.

"What are you..." Molly begins but he raises a hand and she is silenced. She watches with a frown on her face as he moves around the room, finally he stops and he lets out a breath. "Sherlock what are you doing?" Molly asks her voice sounding desperate as he pulls off his blonde wig. Molly notices his hair is still bloody and she looks back down at his face.

"I was just making sure there were no cameras or bugs." He says.

"Cameras?" Molly squeaks looking around the living room."

"Yes or microphones but I think we are ok. Can never be too careful though." He says as Molly slumps down in her chair completely exhausted by all the drama.

"How do you do it?" She asks in a breath.

"Do what?" He asks frowning.

"This," She indicates around the room, "How do you handle all this drama all the time?"

"I just don't let it get to me." He says with a shrug. "It is my job." Molly frowns and shakes her head.

"You invented the job Sherlock, you must enjoy it." She says and he looks away. "You must have a sadistic side." She adds and he looks down at her frowning.

"What makes you say that?" He asks.

"Well it is all a bit depressing, the whole thing. I can hardly stand everything, I feel like I am falling apart and you…" She looks up at him, "You look normal completely unfazed." She says and he looks away again.

"I am just in control of my emotions." He says his voice low and he pulls off his hoodie. He sucks in a pained breath and Molly springs out of the seat to his side.

"What, what is it?" She asks as he lowers his arms slowly.

"My ribs." He says lifting his t-shirt revealing the bandages from earlier. She takes note of his flat white stomach before her eyes travel to the bandaged area and she desperately tries not to notice the small trail of dark hair that leads into his jeans. She swallows and feels his ribs again.

"I will have to check them again, is that ok?" She asks and he nods.

"If you wouldn't mind." He says and she nods and disappears into the kitchen and grabs a bundle of bandages. Sherlock is struggling to pull of his t-shirt and she rushes over to help him.

"Here let me." She says and he lets it drop his face unreadable and paler than usual. His adrenaline must have worn off and he is now staring to feel every pain he sustained from the fall. Molly pulls his t-shirt up and she has to step closer to get it over his head, as he is so much taller than she is. She can feel the heat radiating off him and she sees that he is trembling slightly. She carefully removes the t-shirt and he gives her a small smile.

"Thank you." He says and she nods and walks around behind him and starts unravelling the bandages trying desperately not to let her mind get away with her and behave herself. As she unravels the bandages she takes in the smoother white expanse of his back, which is surprisingly muscular, something she was not expecting. A pleasant surprise. She bites her lip as she makes her way round to his front hiding a smile. Her smile vanishes when she sees the extent of the damage however and her breath catches in her throat.

"Oh Sherlock." She says covering her mouth with her hand as she looks over his rib cage, which is a violent purple. "That looks awful!" She says and he gingerly moves a hand over them. "Are you ok if I examine you? Just to make sure there are no breakages?" She says and he lets his hand drop.

"I need to wash first," he says touching his bloody hair, "If that is ok with you?" He says and she shakes her head.

"No of course." She shows him into the bathroom and smiles.

"Thank you Molly." He says closing the door. She rushes to her airing cupboard and rummages for her nicest towel and knocks on the door. The shower is running so she knocks louder.

"Sh-Sherlock I have a towel for you." She says through the door.

"Come in." He says and her eyes widen and she almost falls through the door. She peeks at the shower curtain and just sees his outline as he washes his hair.

"I have put it on the side." She says and she rushes out before he can answer. She leans up against the closed door and lets out a low breath. Molly makes her way back into the living room and slumps down into her chair and closes her eyes.

_Well I did not expect my day to turn out quite like this. _Molly thinks as she kicks off her shoes. _Sherlock Holmes in my flat, naked!_ The thought makes her sit up in her seat and her face flame with the thought of it all. She mentally slaps herself for getting carried away and then she remembers why Sherlock was naked in her flat. The events of the day spin in her mind making her feels sick. She cringes when she imagines what poor John and Mrs Hudson are going through and she feels guilt course through her so strong she has to fight the urge to run to then and divulge the elaborate fake suicide. He leans forward and puts her head in her hands and sighs. _How am I going to get away with this one? _She thinks and she recalls all the other time she has had to cover for Sherlock or went along with one of his requests, whipping a dead body to see the bruises that formed or giving him random body parts on request. Now she has helped a wanted man escape the police and death, sure she had saved peoples lives in the process but she began wondering, was there nothing she wouldn't do for Sherlock Holmes?

She began wondering what his plan was now; surely he couldn't stay with her forever? Will he escape to another country; will he take her with him? She was surely going to be watched from now. Maybe now he would try and find Moriarty and finally bring him down. He will not let that rest surely? Maybe her will find him and bring down his network of criminals and return from the dead in spectacular fashion. She dreaded the reactions of Sherlock's nearest and dearest when it finally came out that she knew everything and she did nothing to ease their suffering. She knows she would find it hard to forgive such deception. She rubs her tired eyes and jumps when Sherlock clears his throat behind her.

"Sherlock!" Molly squeals springing out of her seat clutching her chest. He frowns at her and shakes his head.

"You need to get a hold of your nerves Molly." He says and Molly frowns at him.

"Oh I'm sorry, I have a lot on my mind and with you creeping around doesn't help!" She snaps and he raises his eyebrows surprised at her out burst.

"That is the first time you have got cross with me." Sherlock says and Molly stares down.

"I'm sorry I just…"

"Don't apologise." Sherlock says and she looks up at his face. "I have asked a lot of you today." He says and Molly nods she chews on her lip nervously and she notices he is standing there in nothing but a towel. Her eyes wander over him for a moment until he clears his throat and her eyes snap up to his face, she is shocked to see he has a small smile on his lips. "It is rude to stare." He says and she feels her face heat up immediately and she turns away.

"I-I'm oh my…" Molly rushes into the kitchen her face flaming and she closes the door behind her and puts her hands over her face. _What is with this man that makes me such a mess? I am not like that with any other guys! _ She thinks angrily to herself, she has always been nervous and intimidated around Sherlock. He has a certain power to him that molly finds fascinating and she just cannot control herself around him. She loves watching him work and how he so easily comes to difficult conclusions just with a few tiny sometime useless seeming clues. She loves how smart he is yet how clueless he is about the simplest of things. She knows most people find him irritating and rude and she sees where they are coming from but being one of the few people who gets to see him regularly and see him work she just finds him fascinating. It also didn't help that she thinks him as one of the most attractive people she had ever met that was even more of a bonus in her opinion.

Molly sighs and starts rummaging around her cupboard for some pain relief and when she finds a few boxes she walks back into the living room where was sat in her char, towel and all, waiting patiently for her. _He is just any other patient Molly! _ She says to herself and she moves in front of him and he looks up at her.

"Do you need some pain relief?" She asks and he shakes his head.

"Ex addict."He says shortly and she stares at him in shock. He looks up at her trying to guage her reaction and he is not surprised to see the shock there but the sadness he was not expecting.

"Um, I need you to stand up please." She says all business now and he does as he is asked, wincing slightly as his ribs stretch.

"I am sorry if I embarrassed you." He says as Molly stands back after he ends up to close to her.

"It's fine. I am just going to feel for breaks is that ok?" She says trying to brush over the awkward moment.

"Yes. It is not ok I should be making you feel bad for your feelings." He says and Molly frowns and starts to press on his ribs.

"This may hurt." She says still ignoring him.

"I know." He says and Molly stares up at him and frowns. She presses on his rib and he hisses she smiles a little and looks back down continuing her inspection.

"You are enjoying this Dr Hooper." Sherlock says with humour in his tone and Molly just continues feeling around to his back.

"You are lucky that you didn't do anything worse than this." She says and he chuckles.

"What like, actually die?" He says and Molly looks up at him again.

"Yeah." She says and he taps his temple.

"Don't worry I did all the math, I knew where I was going to land." He says and Molly rolls her eyes.

"So do you know what did this? I thought it was a laundry truck." She says and he frowns down at the bruise.

"So did I." He says and he prods the edge of the bruise. "So what is the prognosis Dr Hooper?"

"I don't think that you have broken anything, just badly bruised them." She says, "I won't need to bandage you." She says with a little pout and Sherlock chuckles.

"What a shame." Sherlock says teasing her. She frowns at him and prods him. "Ouch!"

"Oh sorry." She says with a mischievous smile as she retrieves the bandages from the chair before heading back into the kitchen to put them back. She smiled at herself for paying him back for her teasing. What made the whole situation with Sherlock more awkward was that she knew one hundred percent that Sherlock knew the extent of her feeling towards him. She also was aware that he had used those feeling she has for him to his advantage more than once but she found it hard to feel bitter about it. When the object of you affection was someone like Sherlock, she was glad with any little interaction they shared. However falsified it may be on his part.

"I have two sugars in my tea." Sherlock calls from the living room and Molly looks out of the kitchen towards him and frowns. "Please Molly." He adds at her disgruntled face.

"I am not your maid." She muttered to herself but she switches the kettle on none the less.

She re-enters the living room a short time later and Sherlock is sprawled out on the sofa his eyes closed and breathing lightly. He looks like he is sleeping so Molly puts the cup down on the side table and covers him with a blanket and sighs.

"Good night Sherlock." She whispers and she switches off the lights.

"Good night Molly Hooper." He says in a hushed voice from the sofa, she turns to look at him and he has not moved. She backs out of the room and closes the door. She walks quietly into her bedroom and closes the door lightly and not even bothering to undress she throws herself into her bed and cries. She is so emotionally drained that she cannot stop herself and when she is able to subdue herself for a moment she finally gets off to sleep.

Her sleep is not a peaceful one like she had hoped but it is plagued with images of John's devastated face and the real dead body of Sherlock and no matter how hard she tries in her dream when he falls he always lands hard on the concrete bellow and is still and not breathing.

Molly sits up in her bed horrified and in a cold sweat. She kicks the covers off from around her legs and she realises that she is still in the previous days clothes and grumbles as she sits up. She strips her bed angrily her mood getting the better of her and she balls the sheets up and exits her room quietly and tiptoes into the living room opening the door quietly. She peers around the door and she sees Sherlock sitting up and fully dressed and clicking away on her laptop. He doesn't look up or reply as she walks through the room and mutters "Morning". She throws her clothes in the washing into the machine and walks back through the living room where he is frowning at the screen and she heads into the bathroom.

She switches on her little radio and turns on the shower. Stepping under the spray she sighs as it instantly makes her tense muscles a little better but all of a sudden she feels her lip trembling and she lets out a sob and it is like a dam has burst as the tears flow freely.

How could she have gotten herself into such a mess for someone who doesn't really like her? She had put her life in jeopardy, with Moriarty still around, for a man who she is unhealthily devoted to despite the fact he is emotionally unavailable. She has put her job and her good reputation at Bart's on the line for someone who she really should care for. The few friends she has are not going to want to speak to her after they hear about the diabolical things she did to make sure Sherlock got away. What she allowed Sherlock to do to that poor mans corpse was enough to get her jailed for 5 years at leas and her medical licence revoked. She keeps clinging to the face that lives were saved because of her actions but she just cannot shake the feeling of dread that is taking hold of her. Her whole life is going to be a worry from now on unless Sherlock is able to bring down Moriarty. She was still unsure what Sherlock's plan was so she wiped her eyes, finished her shower and climbed out ready to talk to Sherlock about what was happening next. She opened the door forcefully and walked out just as Sherlock came out of the living room. She hit into him and fell to the floor her towel almost coming loose. She looked up at him and he was holding his ribs but offered her a hand.

"I'm sorry!" She squeaked as he helped her up, she wobbled a little and he held onto her arms making her shiver at the contact of his hands on her bare arms.

"You have been crying again?" He says and she looks down at the ground.

"You heard me?"

"Yes you were up most of the night." Sherlock says and Molly frowns. "And now in the shower?" He asks and she nods feeling embarrassed.

"Yes I was crying in the shower, can you let me past please?" She says and he drops his hands from her arms and steps aside and watches her as she marches into her room slamming the door behind her.

She gets dressed in a hurry her temper getting the better of her again at her disbelief of Sherlock's lack of compassion. Could he not see she was falling to pieces here? Was he not supposed to be the great detective? Were emotions really that much of a mystery to him? She gathered her wits and headed back into the living room and Sherlock was not there but she heard noise coming from the kitchen and she frowns as she enter at Sherlock wearing her apron and wielding a spatula while he scrambles some eggs.

"What are you doing?" She asks and he looks at her with his eyebrows raised as she stands in the doorway.

"I would have thought someone as smart as you would have recognised someone cooking breakfast." He says and Molly rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

"Fine, why are you cooking?" She asks her voice still snippy and sharp.

"You are upset." He says with a shrug, "So I am making you breakfast." Molly opens her mouth to reply but Sherlock shoos her out of the door with and eggy spatula. "Out I will bring it out to you." He says and she tries not to smile as he steers her by the shoulders into her seat. He spins around and closes the kitchen door behind himself with his foot.

As Molly settles herself in her chair, feeling bad for doubting his compassion, her phone rings and she picks it up as Sherlock comes rushing out of the kitchen his eyes wide.

"Hello?" Molly says and the line remains silent, she looks up at Sherlock who is frowning now. "Hello, is there anyone there?" She asks and Sherlock presses the button on the stand and a sad sigh comes through it. Sherlock straightens up and backs away from the phone base his eyes wide and sad. "John is th-that you?" She says in a soft voice wiping away the tears that have started to fall onto her cheeks and the person on the phone clears his throat and Molly recognises the sound, it is John and Molly watches as Sherlock vanishes into the kitchen and closes the door.

"Molly…" He croaks and she swallows the lump that has formed in her throat.

"It's me John, are you – where are you?" She asks and he sighs again.

"I am in Baker Street… its so quiet here." He says and Molly looks to her kitchen door.

"Oh John I am so sorry."

"I just called to tell you it is tomorrow." He says sounding a little disorientated.

"Tomorrow?"

"The funeral." He says, his voice is shaky and it catches at the end.

"Tomorrow?" She asks feeling and sounding genuinely shocked. Her eyes dart to the kitchen door where Sherlock is now standing listening intently to the conversation his eyes are fixed on the phone base and he is frowning.

"Yes apparently he insisted on a quick burial." John says his voice sad.

"I- I thought he was to be cremated!" Molly says looking back up at Sherlock who doesn't acknowledge her and John chuckles humourlessly.

"Oh he has been already. Apparently Mycroft insisted. They did not let me see him before… I'm not family so…"

"I'm sorry."

"Nothing you could do." He says and Molly gasps and Sherlock looks at her and her eyes fill instantly." He had it all planned out did you know? He wanted a place where we could come and visit him."

"Oh really?" Molly says and Sherlock walks into the room further his eyes back on the phone base.

"He has been planning this for some time apparently, he knew it might come to this." John pauses and he is silent for a moment. "Did he say anything to you?" Molly's eyes widen and she stares wordlessly at the phone base.

"Me… why would he talk to me?" She sputters out glad that they were talking over the phone.

"He liked you." He says and Molly scoffed and Sherlock looked up at her frowning.

"Sherlock put up with me John, for when he needed me." She said her spite really showing now. Sherlock frowns at her and she ignores him.

"I'm sorry I just…"

"Please don't' apologise that is my problem." Molly says trying not to let John make her feel any more horrific than she already did. "John are you ok?" She asks regretting the question as soon as she has finished.

"No." He says simply and she sighs.

"I'm sorry stupid question. I heard you got hurt, I was just wondering…"

"I'm fine. So I will see you tomorrow?"

"Yes of course, what time?"

"Two o'clock."

"Ok I will see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow Molly, oh and if you need to you know talk or whatever…" John says and Molly bites her lip, "… I'm here."

"John I…" but before she could say another works the line goes dead and she stares at it and listened t the tone for a few moments.

"Molly?" Sherlock says in a soft almost comforting tone and she looks over at him her eyes threatening to spill over. "Well done." Molly blinks at him a few times and frowns.

"Well done?" She whispers and he moves forward and sits on the sofa next to her. "Well done?" She says louder turning to him. "I have just lied to a man about his best friend being dead." She says her voice rising with each word. Sherlock sits back a little and she stands up and she feels the dam of her emotions explode and she sends the phone handset against her wall in a rage. "He is crushed. For god sake Sherlock did you not hear him he id heartbroken." She shakes her head angrily and scowls down at him. "Are you really that emotionally stunted that you don't see what you are doing?"

"Molly!" He says angrily standing up and towering over her. "Don't for one second think you understand the complexities of what I am feeling."

"I don't understand?" She says her voice low and dangerous. "Sherlock you are and absolute…"

"What Molly what am I?" He challenges and she scowls up at him but she cannot think of anything hurtful to say because in truth she does not want to. "John is not the only one suffering." He says his tone calmer and sadder. They both are startled out of their staring contest when the fire alarm goes off. Sherlock rushes past her and into the kitchen and she snatches up her bag and keys.

**I have been completely overwhelmed by the response to this story and I love that you are all following and reviewing. I Kline to hear that my stories are being enjoyed. **

**Thank you.**


	3. Chapter 3

"I am going out!" She says and Sherlock comes out to meet her the fire alarm still blaring overhead.

"Out?" He questions.

"Yes Sherlock out, I need to get some air." Molly says and she turns and walks down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" He asks following after her.

"I don't know."

"When will you be back?" He asks as she starts to unlock the locks.

"I don't know Sherlock!" She says angrily opening the door.

"Molly," Sherlock says from inside the house his tone soft making her spin around. "Please don't be long." He says and molly just blinks at him the worry in his face clear and making her anger ebb away almost instantly.

"Ok." She says her voice almost a whisper.

"And be safe."

"I will be." She says nodding and he gives her a quick nod and closes the door. She hears the locks click as she walks down the stairs he mind racing. When Molly imagined Sherlock Holmes in her flat she never imagined that he would ever drive her out. She always imagined that she would want to do nothing less than leave a confined space with Sherlock. She laughs at her own stupidity. She had been victim of one of Sherlock's more uncaring and inappropriate moments at Christmas and she always heard John complaining about their living situation. She was not quite sure what made her think living with her would change him.

She steps out on to the street and she feels her phone buzz in her pocket and she digs it out and frowns at the number on the screen, not recognising it, and opens up the message.

I HAVE PUT A LIST OF THINGS I WILL NEED IN YOUR BAG. MONEY ENCLOSED. SH

Molly frowns at the initials and looks up at her window expecting to see him standing there but dead men shouldn't be standing in windows. She feels in her bag for a note and her fingers land on it she pulls it out and notices her note pad paper from her desk in her living room and she opens it up and gasps as she finds a large wad of fifties. She stuffs it back in her bag and taps furiously on her phone.

**_Really a wad of fifty pound notes! Where did you even get a phone? M_**

She continues walking along the street looking at everyone who passes her expecting to see 'Jim form IT' everywhere she goes. The phone buzzes in her hand.

TOP UP PHONES ARE READILLY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED OF THEM. SH

_**You could have just asked me to get you these things instead of surprising me with it! M**_

AND RISK HAVING MY HEAD BITTEN OFF? SH

Molly cannot help but laugh out loud at this text, she was well aware she was a bit of a monster this morning. She puts her phone away as she descends into the subway.

When she steps out of the subway in Oxford circus her phone buzzes twice.

OUT OF TEA. SH

COULD YOU GET TEA WHILE YOU ARE OUT I WOULD BUT I AM UNABLE TO LEAVE. SH

Molly rolls her eyes and types her response as she heads down the street towards the shops.

_**Yes I will get tea. M**_

She types and there is an almost immediate response.

GOOD. GET YOURSELF SOMETHING FOR MY FUNERAL. YOU HAVE NOTHING SUITABLE IN YOUR WARDROBE. SH

Molly nearly drops her phone in the street in shock.

_**Get out of my room! That is not ok! M**_

UNDERSTOOD. SH

Molly stuffs her phone away and quickens her pace wanting to get this over with before he starts going through all her drawers. The though nearly makes her turn around right then but she makes her self move on. What she has in one of her drawers is for her eyes only. She had been single for a while and a woman has got needs. She chews on her lip as she enters Debenhams and she wanders around unsure where to start.

After a few minutes of aimless wandering someone taps her on the shoulder she turns arounds and a smiling sales assistant offers to help her.

"Yes that would be great thank you." Molly says and the sales assistants eyes light up. She claps her hands together and smiles wider.

"What are you here for today?" She asks and Molly looks around the menswear department where she ended up.

"Well um my-my boyfriend is needing some new clothes he um, his house caught fire." She says and the sales assistant clutches her chest.

"Oh that is just horrible. I hope he is ok." She says and Molly nods.

"He is fine just a little upset." She says lying through her teeth. She worried about how easy she was finding it and decided it would be something she would worry about later for now she just wanted to get home.

"Well I am glad he is safe." She says and Molly smiled the best she could.

"Thank you."

"So what are you looking for today?" She says getting right down to business. Molly pulled out the list and opened it up.

Trousers (no jeans). Black. Four pairs.  
Shirts. Dark. Four.  
Briefs. Black. Seven pairs.  
Socks. Black. Seven pairs.  
Shoes. Black. Size eleven.  
Boots. Black. Size eleven.

Molly hands the list to the sales assistant who glances down at it and smiles.

"He is very particular your boyfriend." She says still smiling and Molly returns her smile with a sheepish one of her own.

"You have no idea."

* * *

Molly is shown around the store and the assistant even helps her pick out a little black dress for the funeral. She carries all of Molly's clothes despite molly insisting she carry some. They are perusing the male underwear and molly looks over them and the more she looks the more she feels her face redden at the imagery of Sherlock in a pair of them.

"What kind of underwear does your boyfriend wear?" The assistant asks snapping Molly out of her daydream.

"I-um…"

"Does he prefer the loose boxer or a tighter brief?"

"Briefs." Molly says, her face feeling very hot all of a sudden.

"Well there ones here are our best sellers and we have some in his size will they do?" The assistant says and Molly just nods. "Is that everything on your list?"

"Yes I think so." Molly says and she follows the sales assistant to the check out. She nervously digs into her bag for the money and waits for the cashier to ring up the items. As she waits her phone buzzes.

GET A CAB HOME. SH

And again.

PLEASE. SH

"That will be Seven hundred and twenty-five pounds please." The cashier says and molly drops her phone in shock.

"Sorry?" She says snatching it back up and stuffing it in her bag.

"Seven hundred and twenty-five pounds please." The cashier repeats and she nods and digs out the money and counts out the fifties and hands them over. The cashier smiles as he takes the money but takes his time checking every note care fully. "We need to check, a lot of frauds going around you see." He explains as molly watches him with wide eyes.

"Sure." She says and she grabs her phone.

_**You have very expensive taste. M**_

She hits send and watches as the cashier bags all of the items clearly happy with the quality of her money. Her phone buzzes and she opens her message.

ONLY THE BEST. DID YOU GET YOURSELF SOMETHING? SH.

_**Yes I did. Thank you. M**_

I COULDN'T HAVE YOU TURN UP TO MY FUNERAL IN ONE OF YOUR HORRIBLE CARDIGANS. SH

Molly scoffs and furiously types back.

_**My dress sense is none of your concern. I like my cardigans. M**_

THEY ARE GRANDMOTHER CLOTHES. YOU HIDE UNDERNEATH THEM. SH

_**I DO NOT! They are comfortable. M**_

YES FOR OLD LADIES. SH

Molly smiles and the cashier clears his throat.

"Your bags miss." He says and she stuffs her phone away and smiles.

"Thank you." She says and she walks off and she feels her phone buzz again. Sighing she shifts all the bags to one hand and pulls out her phone.

CAB WAITING OUTSIDE FOR YOU. SH

She is about to put her phone away when it buzzes again she sighs and reads it.

TEA. SH

She rolls her eyes but is glad he sent the reminder because she definitely forgot. She sees a cab waiting outside the store and she climbs in.

"Corner of Goldinton Street please." She says and the cabbie nods.

Molly kicks at the door as she struggles to find the keys in her bag. The door opens quickly and she is grabbed inside as the door is closed behind her and Sherlock locks the door quickly.

"You took your time." He says peering out of the spy hole.

"Hello to you too." Molly replies acidly as she walks into the living room and depositing the bags. She frowns at the closes curtains and turns around to find Sherlock staring at her. "Everything ok?" Molly asks and Sherlock frowns.

"Is everything ok with you?" He asks and Molly frowns.

"Me?"

"Yes Molly you. Are you ok?"

"I am just peachy thanks." She says and his frown deepens.

"You are being sarcastic." He says and Molly laughs.

"Yes Sherlock I am being sarcastic." She says and he shakes his head.

"How are you really?" He asks and Molly walks into the kitchen.

"I am making tea do you want one?" She asks avoiding his question.

"Yes I do but will you answer my question." He says and she turns to him and crossed her arms and he frowns at her like she is a mystery to him.

"Will you answer on of mine first?" She asks and he nods. "Ok, why did you not tell me you were having a burial and so soon?"

"That's two questions." He says and she raises her eyebrows and he sighs.

"I wanted everyones' suffering to be lessened. The longer I was around and unburied the longer people suffer. I wanted to give then closure." He says and Molly nods.

"Why did you not tell me? I knew everything else."

"That is three Molly."

"Just answer the question." She says and he stares at her for a moment and when she does not back down he answers.

"I have told you everything you have needed to know to get you this far if I tell you everything your reactions will not be genuine and to keep you safe you need to know as little as possible. I knew John would insist on calling you to tell you about the plans and I needed your shock to be genuine or he would have known something was wrong. He is smart." Sherlock says and Molly chews on her lip. "If you need to know Molly I will tell you but when I keep things from you it is for your safety." Molly considers this for a moment and then nods. 

"Ok." She says and she turns around and starts to make the tea.

"Now will you answer my question?" He asks and she sighs.

"I am ok Sherlock, as well as I can be after breaking about twenty laws, lying to my friends and harbouring a wanted dead man. Oh and hiding the best I can from a mad man. But apart form that I am fine." She says and he puts his hand on her shoulder and turns her around.

"You are different." He says his voice sounding intrigued.

"I am the same just more scared." She says and he frowns and shakes his head.

"No something is different. You are not stuttering around me and you seem more…"

"Normal?" She offers and he frowns. "Sherlock this is the real me. I am not always a stuttering wreck. It is only you that does that to me." She says and he frowns.

"But I am here now." He says and Molly shrugs.

"I know." She says and she sighs. "Maybe when you save a man from death you lose all of your self-consciousness. She says and she hands him his tea. She walks past him and heads into the living room and sits down in her chair. Sherlock follows her in and sits down on the sofa.

"The phone has been ringing all day. Your mother left a message." He says pulling her laptop towards him on the table. Molly reaches over and hits the play button.

"Molly its mummy," The voice of her mother says making Molly cringe, "I heard about that dreadful detective killing himself." Molly looks at Sherlock with a look of embarrassment and he just shrugs. "I know you held a little flame for him…" Molly looks away quickly but not before she saw Sherlock grinning, "… just remember what he said to you at Christmas dear he was obviously a swine. I hope you are not to upset. Call me dear." The phone beeps and Molly clutches her cup and stares at the light brown liquid embarrassment creeping over her. She can feel Sherlock's stare and she looks over at him.

"I am sorry about her she is…"

"Right, I was horrible to you at Christmas and I am truly sorry you did not deserve it." He says and she chews her lip. Sherlock starts to look through the bags and starts to pull out the clothes. "This is a good selection Molly." He says with a small smile.

"I had help. As you can tell from my wardrobe I don't go shopping much." She says casting a look at him and he has the good grace to look embarrassed.

"Yes well," he pulls out the black dress and holds it up, "This will certainly liven up that dreary wardrobe." He says and Molly snatches it from him.

"I didn't think the deceased was supposed to see the dress before the funeral." Molly says and Sherlock chuckles.

"I think you will find that is weddings Molly." Molly sits down and she feels a blush creep on her cheeks and he smiles.

"Yes well anyway…"

"Are you going to call your mother back?" He asks as he folds the clothes neatly.

"Um, no, I am not really in the mood for taking today. Are the clothes ok?" She asks and he nods.

"They are perfect thank you." He says and she sips on her tea. They sit in silence for a while before curiosity gets the better of her and she cannot hold back any more.

"Sherlock?"

"Hmm?" He says lifting his eyes from the computer screen.

"Are you going to tell me what you plan to do next?" She asks and he puts his tea down and laces his fingers together and smiles.

"All in good time Molly, all in good time." He says and Molly frowns.

* * *

After another restless night Molly climbs out of bed and stretches before she makes her way into the living room. Sherlock is sitting at the laptop in almost the same place as she left him the following evening.

"Have you slept yet?" She asks as she makes her way into the kitchen switching on the kettle and outing two slices of toast in the toaster. She makes note of the mess in the kitchen from their dinner and from Sherlock's failed attempt of making breakfast the previous day. Too tired to care for the time being she just ignores it and makes grabs a few cups.

"I have not slept." Sherlock says from the living room and she nods to herself. "I only sleep when necessary." He adds as she pours water into the cups.

"What are you doing anyway?" She asks as the toaster pops and he is quiet. "Sherlock?" She frowns when there is no answer. She peers through the door and she sees him standing at the window looking out. His face stony, Molly walks over to the window and she peeks out and drops the curtain when she sees a crowd of people outside her door.

"Reporters." Sherlock says and Molly frowns.

"Why- why are they here?" She asks and Sherlock indicates to the laptop and she rushes to see what is going on. Her eyes widen when she sees a grainy picture of herself walking out of Bart's and a headline reading.

**Sherlock's pathologist secret crush on fallen detective.**

Molly cannot believe her eyes and she looks up at Sherlock who is still looking outside. She looks back at the screen.

**Doctor Molly Hooper, the pathologist in charge of the autopsy of fallen sleuth Sherlock Holmes, allegedly held a flame for him. Miss Hooper, 31, is one of the lead pathologists at St Bart's Hospital in London and according to our sources had been hiding a big crush on the shamed detective. We have been told that she was constantly helping him and allowing him access to her lab and we wonder if that was all she gave him access to. We have uncovered that despite her affections for Holmes she had to carry out the autopsy on the detective after he committed suicide, jumping from Bart's roof.**  
**For more on the Sherlock story visit our website.**

Molly slams the laptop shut and stares at it. She is horrified and starts to run though her head who could have done this.

"Your mother." Sherlock says and Molly frowns up at Sherlock.

"Are you sure?" She asks and he nods.

"All the clues are there. She said in her message you held a flame for me and there it is there and I guess you told her about me?" He says and she nods embarrassed down to her very core.

"I am so sorry." Molly says and Sherlock frowns.

"You cannot control your mother." He says and Molly scowls. "I shall get the teas." Sherlock goes into the kitchen and he hears him buttering the toast and she comes in holding a plate and two teas.

"Thank you." She says and he just nods.

"What is the plan for today then?" Molly asks as Sherlock sits down.

"I have arranged for a taxi to collect you at one. You will have to be careful when going out now, you may be mobbed." He says and Molly rolls her eyes.

"Fantastic! Just what I need some scummy repeaters trying to get info on a nonexistent affair." She says and Sherlock chuckles.

"You could make something up and make money." Sherlock suggests with a little smile. "I am dead so I cannot deny it."

"I wouldn't do that!" Molly says shocked that he even brought it up. "You are my friend I wouldn't..."

"Molly, it was a joke!" Sherlock says and she frowns.

"You don't joke much do you?" She asks and he stares at her for a moment and then shakes his head.

"Not really." He says and she smiles.

"I didn't think so; you need to work on your delivery." She says and he nods.

"Noted." He says with a little smile and she bites into her toast.

* * *

Molly stares at herself in the mirror and smoothes the dress down and swallows away the dread coursing through her. She did not want to do this. She didn't not want to go to the funeral and pretend that she thinks Sherlock is dead when he will be sitting in her flat very much alive. She was also dreading having to wade through the reports that were still clustered outside her flat. Taking a deep breath she leaves her room and walks into the living room and Sherlock looks up at her and his eyes widen.

"Well Molly, don't you look..." He stops himself and Molly feels herself blush.

"Thank you." She says and he nods and looks away and Molly smiles when she sees a little blush creep on his cheeks. He clears his throat and focuses on the computer with a frown on his face.

"I have taken the liberty of ordering you a cab." Sherlock says and Molly smiles.

"I know Sherlock you said earlier." She says and he frowns again.

"Right, well good." He says and Molly looks up at the clock. She hears Sherlock's phone buzzing and she frowns at it as he picks it up and stands up."Your cab is here." He says and molly picks up her bag.

"I really don't want to do this." She says as nervous butterflies assault her stomach. Sherlock puts his hands on her shoulders and gives her a little smile.

"I know and I am sorry but it would look odd if you did not show. Especially after the article this morning." He says and Molly bites her lip. "This is going to be unpleasant for every one. Myself included. I wish this was not absolutely necessary but Molly it is. This needs to work for everyone. Can I trust you to do this?" He asks his grip tightening.

"Of course Sherlock." Molly says and he nods.

"You are one in a million Molly Hooper." He says and he leans forward and kisses her cheek. She blinks rapidly as he straightens up and escorts her down the hallway. He holds out her coat for her and she wordlessly slides her arms in it. He buttons it for her as she stares at him in shock. He is being very, caring and it is making her nervous. _Damn him, maybe he does still have a spell over me_. She thinks as she straightens her coat like a fussy mother.

"Now head up and try and ignore the reporters." He says and she nods mutely. He reaches around her and opens the door checking it is clear. "Off you go." He says steering her out the door. She turns to say something but he has already closed the doors and she stares at the closed door. She takes moment to gather her wits and lets out a long deep breath. She makes her way down the stairs and she sees the crowd of bored looking reporters huddled at the foot of her stairs and as she opens the door she is temporarily blinded by the fast of cameras.

"Miss Hooper, is it true you and Sherlock were an item?"

"Did you date for long?"

"How are you feeling now he is gone?"

"Was he really as clever as they say?"

"How do you feel being played by a mad man?" This question brings her up short and she freezes as she tries to shove her way to the cab. She spins around to the offending voice and a short balding man is smiling at her obviously pleased with the fact he got a response.

"Sherlock was not a mad man, how dare you! Sherlock was a hero you would be horrified if you knew what he saved you people from!" Molly says angrily and she pushes her way through the rest of then and climbs into the cab her blood boiling. She slams the door and the cabbie drives off.

"What's all that about?" He asks as Molly pulls out her phone.

"Just people desperately trying to make a name for themselves." She says and she sees the cabbie look at her in the rear view mirror.

"Yeah they are vultures that lot." He says and Molly nods in agreement as her phone buzzes in her bag. She pulls it out and smiles when she sees Sherlock's number on the screen.

ARE YOU OK? SH

_**I am fine. They just got to me. Sorry. M**_

DON'T APOLOGISE. SH

YOU WERE VERY KIND, EVEN AFTER EVERYTHING I AM PUTTING YOU THROUGH. SH

_**It's fine... I meant it though. M**_

I KNOW YOU DID. I APPRECIATE IT. SH

Molly smiles to herself as she puts her phone away and watches the cars drive past as they near the cemetery. She looks up at the sigh as they drive in and notice at news vans parked all round the entrance being refused access to the cemetery but a flock of huge body guards some with guns. Mycroft's doing. Molly thinks as the cab comes to a stop at the entrance after being stopped by a man in a neat black suit. He comes around and opens the door for Molly.

"Miss Hooper?" He asks looking into the cab. Molly nods nervous all of a sudden and he holds out his hand for her. "Come with me please there is a car awaiting you." Molly takes his offered hand and allows him to help her out.

"What's going on?" Molly asks as she is walked the short distance to a line of black sleek cars.

"Mr Holmes is only allowing certain people inside the cemetery miss. He does not want his brother funeral to be a media circus as you could imagine." He says and Molly nods. He opens the door for her and steps aside to let her in.

"Thank you." Molly says still completely shocked at her treatment as she slides into the plush leather seat.

"The procession will begin in fifteen minutes Miss." The security officer says and Molly nods. He closes the door and Molly stares around the expensive interior of the car. She imagines that this car probably costs more than her flat, including its contents. She pulls out her phone and takes a picture and messages Sherlock.

_**Sitting in a million pound car on the way to your funeral! Is this not a little over the top? M**_

She sits patiently for a reply and hurriedly looks down when the phone buzzes.

ONLY THE BEST FOR THE HOLMES'. I AM A LITTLE SURPRISED HE BROUGHT OUT THE BIG CARS. I SUPPOSE THERE IS AN OBCEEN AMOUNT OF SECURITY? SH

_**Yes. It feels strange talking to you when I am on the way to your funeral. I feel bad. M**_

I KNOW YOU DO. JUST REMEMBER WHY YOU DID IT. I NEEDED YOU AND YOU SAVED PEOPLES LIVES MOLLY. SH

Molly stashes away her phone quickly as the car door is opened and the driver sits down.

"Are you ready to go Miss Hooper?" He asks.

"Yes." Molly squeaks her voice breaking at the perfect moment He gives her small sympathetic smile and turns around starting the car.

"There is some water in the fridge there if you need a drink." He says and molly leans forward and little as the little wall sides open revealing a small compartment. She takes a bottle and is amazed to find that it is chilled. The car starts to move and she sits back and watches as they pass rows upon rows of gravestones. Despite the fact it is a graveyard Molly cannot help and think how beautiful it is, it is full of grand and impressive memorials and tomb stones that have obviously been there for hundreds of years and have now become home to plants that creep up and around them, making them almost unrecognisable but chillingly beautiful.

Being someone who deals with death on a daily basis Molly has never really been scared of it except when her father died. She knows that no matter how hard she tried nothing could be done for him and that killed her. This place however was scary to her it was eerie and she can't help the chills that run through her body. Being of a scientific mind she didn't believe in ghosts or the supernatural but being here under the pretence she was under she felt uneasy like she was disrespecting the generations of dead that lay beneath her.

She was brought out of her morbid thoughts when she saw a small gathering of people all in black and huddling around a freshly dug grave mid way up the hill. The car came to a stop and the driver got out and opened her door.

"This is as far as I can go Miss." He says and she nods and climbs out of the back. Molly straightens up her coat and smiles at the driver who gives her a small nod. "I am sorry for your loss." He says and she gives him a small nod of thanks the weight of her guilt crushing her. She walks towards the small group of people and notices John, Mrs Hudson and Lestrade standing there. Lestrade notices her waking towards them and he nudges John who turns around and spots her. He excuses himself and Molly swallows hard as he walks towards her her eyes stinging with guilty tears at the look of pure grief on his face.

**As ever I am truly grateful for you all reading. I hope you still enjoy and I apologise for the wait. x**


	4. Chapter 4

"John I am so sorry." She says choking on her words. He just holds her tighter and she sobs.

"It is ok... I am..." his voice catches and she feels him swallow. He stands back and holds her at arms length. "You look beautiful." He says and Molly sniffs and scowls at him.

"Hardly." She says wiping her nose and causing him to let out a bark like laugh.

"Come on let's get this over with." He says and Molly nods and takes his offered arm as the rain starts to come down. They both look up and John sighs.

Molly stood in the cold rainy cemetery looking down at her feet wondering how in the world she got there; she toed the loose soil at the edge of the grave yard while John spoke in a quivering voice.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day," John says taking a deep shake breath "I always thought Sherlock would out live us all he is a suborn git after all." Molly lifts her head from the ground and looks at John who has his eyes tightly closed while he holds his hands tightly together. _He looks awful._ She thinks to herself as his eyes open and land on hers. They exchange a profound and meaningful look that says _I'm sorry. It'll be ok. I am here if you need me._ Molly takes this chance to look him over. He truly does look awful, his clothes are clean and perfectly smart but beneath them Molly can see that he is much thinner and his face is gaunt and pale and he doesn't look like he has had a decent meal in weeks. It is his eyes though that really upset Molly. They are lifeless, like the corpses she works on every day. It looks like all his life essence has been sucked out of him. He is heartbroken, heartbroken for the loss of his flat mate and best friend Sherlock Holmes.

John gives Molly a curt nod understanding what she is trying to say with her look and she looks back down at the ground unable to bare the lost look on his face. She stares into the hole where the sleek black coffin lies as John goes on.

"Sherlock was my very best friend. He was brilliant and I do not care what people think of him. I know he is no fraud and nothing anyone says will ever change my opinion of him. I am going to miss him..."

* * *

Molly blocks out Johns sad words and tries to focus on her breathing and not breaking down completely. Her nerves are completely shot, what with the funeral and he lies but also the thought that today would be a perfect opportunity for Moriarty to make a statement. It would be the perfect opportunity for him to show he was alive and kicking while his nemesis, the great Sherlock Holmes was dead and buried.

Molly half expected to see 'Jim form IT' standing in the crowd with a big evil smile on his face. She kept scanning the crowd and couldn't see him. She was not really that surprised after all the amount of security in the cemetery was that of a royal visit. She could see men and women on black suits dotted all over the cemetery so the likely hood of anyone they didn't want there getting close was highly unlikely.

Molly turns back to John and Mrs Hudson has taken his hand and he is looking down into the grave. Molly notices people are walking away and she shakes herself out of her daze, missing most of what John had said. She spots Mycroft Holmes sliding into the closest black car and as soon as the door is closed the car rushes off. There are a few people around John and Molly turns to leave when she hears her name being called. She spins around and John is marching over to her.

"Molly are you ok?" He asks and she frowns and nods.

"I'm fine John. Well apart form..." She looks towards Sherlock's grave, "... you know?"

"Yeah, I know." He says rubbing his exhausted eyes. "Look I know we were not like best of friends but what I said yesterday on the phone still stands. I am here if you need me." He says and Molly nods.

"Yes thank you." She says her guilt crushing her. "You too you know, anything you need." She says the words and it makes her feel uneasy as she says them at the memory of who else she had said them to.

"Right well... good." He says and he gives her a very soldiery nod and surprises her by giving her a swift kiss on the cheek. "See you soon Molly, take care of yourself." He says and Molly nods as he straightened his coat and walks off to a waiting Mrs Hudson, who gives Molly a little wave as she dabs her eyes. Molly awkwardly returns her wave and watches as they walk off together. Molly walks off in the opposite direction declining the car ride back down to the entrance. She needs a walk to clear her head and as she is walking down the hill she hears the gravel behind her crunching and she turns around. Lestrade is walking quickly towards her and he smiles when she stops to let him catch up.

"Hey Molly, how are you holding out?" He asks and she looks up at him and gives him a little smile.

"Horribly." She says and he nudges her with his elbow and she smiles a little. She has always like Greg he had always been kind to her and always valued her opinion when it came to a difficult case.

"I know how you feel." He says and she nods. She also knew that despite Sherlock constantly belittling him and basically driving him insane, Greg liked him and thought of Sherlock as a friend. "It has been a nightmare at the office since Sherlock died. Donovan and Anderson have been walking around with stupid smug smiles on their faces. They are still convinced Sherlock is a fraud."

"That's horrible!" Molly says angrily and Lestrade nods. "You don't think he is do you?" Molly asks and Lestrade shakes his head.

"No, I don't. I will be honest I did think for a bit but when James Moriarty turned up dead on the roof having shot himself I couldn't believe it any more. Sherlock is no killer." He says and Molly nods and then she freeze and stumbles to stop.

"Wait what?" She says her voice shaking slightly. Lestrade stops and looks at her frowning.

"What is it?"

"Did you say Jim I mean Moriarty is dead?" She says her blood beginning to boil.

"Yes." He says his frown deepening. "Did you not know?" Molly stares at him and he runs his hand through his wet hair. "Molly I'm sorry I though you knew."

"Well I did not!" She says through her teeth. She was so angry she had been walking around feeling like she was going to get snatched off the street for the last few days. She was living in constant fear of Jim finding her and therefore finding Sherlock and killing him. _How could Sherlock not tell her this simple but very important fact? _ She closes her eyes as angry tears began to burn her eyes. Lestrade stares at her with concern and puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Molly?" He says quietly and her eyes snap open and they are full of unshed tears.

"I never knew Greg. I have been terrified that he was going to come back." She says feeling herself shake.

"I'm sorry Molly. I thought you were told." He says and she nods.

"I should have been." She says in a low dangerous voice and she walks on again. Lestrade follows closely behind her.

"How are you getting home?" He asks from behind her and she slows again and he walks beside her. He can see she is furious and that she desperately wants to know what happened, she is chewing on her lip, which she does when she wants to ask questions, but doesn't feel like it is her place.

"I was just going to get a cab." She says and she feels her phone buzz in her bag. She reaches into her bag and pulls it out. It is Sherlock.

HOW WAS THE FUNERAL? SH

She angrily stuffs her phone in her bag and Lestrade gives her a little smile.

"Bad news?" He asks and Molly shrugs.

"Just my mother."

"I know the feeling. So do you want a ride home?" He asks and Molly nods.

"That would be nice thank you." She says and he smiles and leads the way to the car park. They stop at a little red car and he opens the door for her and she smiles at him as she sits down and he closes her door for her. He walks around and climbs in next to her and groans as he pulls off his soaked coat. "Nice car." Molly says and Lestrade rolls his eyes.

"It's the wife's." He says and Molly smiles and nods.

"How are things between you two?" Molly asks as he starts the car.

"Oh we are getting a divorce." "He says nonchalantly backing out of his spot. Molly cringes and looks out of the window.

"I'm sorry." Molly says and Lestrade shrugs.

"Bit of a shit time all around." He says and Molly nods and he pats her leg. "It'll get better soon." He says and he lifts his hand off her and back onto the steering wheel.

"I hope so." Molly says and Lestrade smiles."

"Me too, after all of this I am in desperate need of a long holiday." He says and Molly nods and looks back out of the window.

* * *

"Greg?" Molly says as they sit in the typical London traffic.

"Yeah?" He says turning to her.

"What happened? I mean with Moriarty." She says not wanting to have to listen to another incorrect version of what happened to Sherlock.

"Well we are not sure but he was on the rooftop that Sherlock... on top of Bart's." He says and Molly nods. "He was just laying there with a gun in his head and a hole in his head."

"So he killed himself?" She asks and Lestrade nods.

"He had gunpowder on his hand and it was all the right angle so it seems that way. Sherlock didn't have any traces on him so he was cleared." He says and Molly frowns. Of course that was going to show in her report. If the lab ran any trace on the fake Sherlock they were not going to find anything on him, he was homeless and was hardly going to be playing around with guns. Of course the real Sherlock could have very well shout Moriarty for all she knew. Molly added this to her fire and she let it simmer and as soon as she was home she was going to let it boil over.

"Right, so what happened to him?" She asks and Lestrade chuckles.

"He was stolen." He says and Molly gasps.

"Stolen!"

"Yeah, Johnston, you know that old geezer who covers you?" Molly nods, "Well he got locked in a freezer and Morriatry was taken by some of his thugs."

"Oh my god was Johnston ok?"

"Yeah He had a cold and a sore head but he is fine. We cannot find anyone who would have done this. It would be a perfect case for Sherlock." Lestrade says not trying to hide the irony in his statement.

"I am sure he would love this one." Molly says with a little smile and Lestrade nods.

"I could certainly use his expertise right about now." He says and the traffic starts to move and they both fall silent.

They finally make it through town and turn into Molly's street and Molly groans at the sight of the reporters.

"What the hell at they all doing here?" Lestrade asks at they pull up outside Molly's building.

"I had forgotten about them!" She sighs unbuckling her seatbelt. Lestrade frowns but opens his door and she hears him telling them to back off or he will have them arrested. "This day just keeps getting better and better!" Molly mumbles as she readies herself to get out of the car. Lestrade opens her door and helps her out of the car. The reporters all start yelling but she cannot her anything through the haze and Lestrade's shout.

"Get out of the way, move it!" he says pulling her behind him. Cameras are flashed in her face and she is shoved around. Someone pushes her hard and she falls to the ground hard. She lands on her side bashing her elbow hard off the concrete. Lestrade helps her to her feet and helps her into her building as she holds her throbbing elbow.

"Are you ok?" He asks as they are in the quiet hallway.

"I am fine."

"You are bleeding."

"I am ok, it's just a little cut." She says pulling out her keys.

"Are you going to be ok?" He asks and she nods as she feels her phone buzz.

"I'll be fine, I am a doctor." She says giving him a little smile and he nods.

"What was all that about?" He asks and Molly blushes as she finally finds her keys and pull then out.

"They thought I was dating Sherlock." She says as her phone buzzes again and she looks for that now not missing Lestrade's shocked face.

"You weren't were you?" He asks and Molly pulls her phone out and looks at him frowning.

"No! God no you know what he was like... he never let anyone in." Molly says and Lestrade nods. She looks at her phone and sees two messages and she opens them.

GET RID OF HIM. SH

DO NOT LET HIM IN HERE! SH

She looks up at Lestrade who is hovering and Molly feels bad knowing he probably just wants to come in for a bit to make sure she is ok so it is with a heavy heart she smiles at him.

"Well thank you Greg." She says and he looks at her. "I had better get this cleaned up, thank you for the lift." She shay and he runs his hand through his hair and ne nods.

"My pleasure, um, will you be back at work next week?" He asks and Molly shrugs.

"I am not sure yet but it probably will yes." She says and he nods, another buzz and Molly glances at the screen.

THIS IS PAINFUL TO LISTEN TO. SH

"Ok well take care and I will see you..."

"When ever." Molly says and Lestrade nods.

"Yeah whenever."

"Bye Greg." She says and he turns to leave but stops at the bottom step.

"Get some ice on that elbow." He says with a smile and Molly chuckles.

"Yeah I will." She says and she waits outside the door until she hears the door close. She turns the key in the lock and opens the door pushing it with her shoulder.

"You are hurt." Sherlock's says as soon as the door is closed and she nods and allows herself to be led into the living room. Sherlock removes her coat for her and she feels the sting of the air on her arm. She feels around the wound sighs when she feels it is wet and sticky. She looks at her fingers and they are covered in blood.

"Brilliant!" She sighs and Sherlock looks at her arm.

"Where is your first aid kit?" He asks.

"Under the bathroom sink." She says and he vanishes. She holds he elbow and looks down at her legs and notices her ripped tights and her grazed knee. She tries to remember the last time she grazed her knee and laughs to herself when she remembers she must have been about seven. Sherlock re-enters with a little basin and the first aid kit while Molly is still chuckling and he frowns at her.

"Are you ok?" He asks approaching her slowly and cautiously. She snorts and his eyebrows shoot up and she continues to chuckle.

"I'm fine," she gasps and he sits down next to her on the sofa. "Just had a bit of a rough day." She says and he nods.

"Rough day all round then?" He says and she arches an eyebrow.

"Have you been busy?" She asks in a doubtful voice as she looks around the messy flat. He had certainly made his mark on the flat in the two days he had been there with random notes and bits of paper all over the place and his clothes on various surfaces. He looks around with her and clears his throat.

"I was buried today." He says and she scoffs.

"What ever you say." She says and she reaches for the first aid kit but he moves it out of her reach and she stares at him. She is painfully aware of how close she has moved to him and she cannot breathe at ho close thy have become.

"Let me." Sherlock says and Molly nods her voice having stopped working. She sits back and he moves closer so he can have better access to her arm.

"I-I I am more than able to patch myself up." She says and he shakes his head and takes her arm in his hands.

"I insist." He says pulling the cloth out of the basin and she watches as he works, something she has always loved doing. She can smell the faint smell of antiseptic in the water and she watches and he cleans around the cut meticulously and she jumps when she feels his cold breath blow on her raw skin. She watches as the goose bumps raise o her arm and he sits up and his fingers trace them lightly and Molly sits there frozen as she watches his face as he look at her skin. His eyes dart into hers startling her and making her breath catch.

"Sherlock..." She breathes and he frowns before he leans forward and brings his lips to hers. She freezes with her eyes wide and then snaps herself out of it and shoves him away and onto the floor. She jumps up and he stares at her from the floor. "What... what are you doing?" Molly says angrily.

"I thought that's what you wanted?" He says standing up holding his ribs. Molly stares at him in disbelief and shakes her head.

"No Sherlock I... I didn't... I don't..."

"You said..." Sherlock frowns and he stares at her, "Your pupils, your pulse..."

"Sherlock!" Molly snaps and he starts, "This is not ok, you can't just do this, I don't want you that way." She says and he frowns.

"How do you want me?" He asks and Molly turns away from him.

"I don't, not unless you wanted me as well but even then I don't know if I do any more." She says turning back to him and she is surprised to see he looks upset. "You have lied to me, manipulated me and made me think I was in jepordy when I am not."

"What are you..."

"I know Sherlock, I know Jim is dead. I have been scared worrying that he was going to come and finish me off but you knew he was gone and you could have, you should have told me!"

"It was for your own good Molly."

"How is that for my gown good?" She asks angrily and Sherlock sighs.

"I didn't want you getting hurt. Morriatry may be dead but he had a lot of people working for him, you can never be to careful."

"Did you kill him?" Molly asks and Sherlock frowns.

"You think I killed him?" He asks and Molly shrugs.

"So what if I did? He was not your Jim Molly stop being so stupid. He was a killer but no I did not kill him although I would have without a second thought." Molly blinks up at him and feels like he has slapped her.

"I am not stupid." She says and he frowns. "I know what he did and who he was and he was not _my_ Jim. I just thought I would have deserved a bit more credit from you Sherlock, after everything I have done for you, risked for you but yeah maybe I am stupid for falling for it again. You have always used the fact I love you to your advantage to manipulate me and make me do things for you but not any more. I'm done. You can stay here as long as you like but from now on Sherlock you are on your own." She says and she turns away from him and storms into her room slamming the door behind her. As soon as the door clicks closed she starts to cry.

* * *

Molly wakes in the morning from the pain in her elbow. She has managed to roll onto it during the night and it was throbbing. She groans as she rolls onto her back and off of the arm. As she lies there the sun shines through her curtains and straight into her raw eyes. She lies there and recalls the previous night in horrifically embarrassing detail. She couldn't believe the things Sherlock had said to her and the horrible things she said to him but most of all she couldn't believe that he had kissed her. She had definitely not seen that one coming. She runs a finger over her lips and closes her eyes to try and remember the pressure or the feel of his lips but she cannot remember any of it. She must have been so shocked she had gone numb. She did feel slightly disappointed that the time where Sherlock kissed her, after years of dreaming of it, she couldn't remember even a tiny detail.

Molly had never even known Sherlock was interested in women. She was almost certain that he was asexual she had even questioned his and Johns relationship at one point. Another, more horrible reason is that he only did it to try and make her feel better. She laughed at the ridiculousness of it all and how horribly his plan had backfired. She sits up and throws her covers off of herself and has a good stretch. She feels her joints crack a little and she winces when her arm protests.

Walking into the living room she freezes and frowns when she notices the room is clean and tidy. She walks around and notices it has even been dusted. She frowns again when she notices something crucial is missing.

"Sherlock." She darts into the kitchen to see if he is in there but it is empty and also spotlessly clean. "Sherlock?" She calls out and when there is no reply she walks back into the living room and she sees a little note taped to her laptop screen. She sits down in front of the laptop and peels the note of carefully.

Dear Molly,

I will be forever grateful for everything you have done for me. I am going to be away for some time, I am sorry for imposing on your home and making you feel uncomfortable. That was never my intention.

I apologize if I have embarrassed you or hurt you in any way and I hope you can forgive me for that. You are a true friend.

Yours,

Sherlock Holmes.

Molly stared down at the note with wide eyes. She couldn't quite believe he had actually left and that he had apologized. It was rare for him to apologize but not rare for him to just up and disappear, that was very Sherlock. She couldn't quiet believe he has left considering his current predicament. When Molly had said he is on his own she did not mean he had to leave and now, the fact that he had she felt bad. Then it hits her that he probably left because he was just as embarrassed about the previous night as she was. She knew he was no good a feelings and emotion so all of this was probably overload for him. Molly sighs and flops back on the couch.

"Time to move on Molly." She says allowed and she pulls herself up and scrunches the letter up and tosses it in a waste bin as she passes and heads for a shower.

The underground was as busy as ever and as Molly exited the station she was grateful for the fresh air. She walked slowly towards the hospital and as she rounds the corner she pauses.

"Come on Molly, move on and sort yourself out." She straightens herself up and walks purposefully towards the entrance actively avoiding the spot where Sherlock "fell". Keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead she pushes open the hospital doors and marches through the halls keeping her eyes fixed on her destination and ignoring the hushed whispers as she passes.

When she gets into the morgue she shuts the door and sighs. She opens her office door and switches off her computer. It takes a moment for it to lad up so she heads out and makes a coffee. She notices her in tray and sighs at the pile of files, bodies for her to examine no doubt. Johnston was never the fastest worker. Clutching her steaming coffee she makes her way back into the office and she sits at the desk. She opens her emails and her eyes widen when she sees she has at least thirty internal emails and another ten or so form the press asking for her story. She deletes all of them not even giving then a second glance and she pushes up from her seat. She walks back into the lab and the doors swing open and Michael looks at her in surprise.

"You're back." He says sounding shocked. Molly frowns at him.

"Yes I am back, what have you got for me?" She says and Michael hands the body over.

* * *

Molly Immerses herself in her work over the next couple of weeks taking twice as many shifts as normal and keeping to herself. She had barely spoken to another soul for all that time except when at work or on the odd occasion John texted to make sure she was ok. Lestrade had visited her in work a few times but she was always to busy or pretending to be when he was there, she wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone really. She had completely changed her life as best she could she had joined a gym and was there as often as she could make it. Her life now consisted of work, sleep, eat and gym.

She had hardly thought about Sherlock since trying to get hold of him a few days after he left to make sure he was ok. She even tried to call him but the number had been disconnected. After that she left him alone and had even signed up for Internet dating to get him fully out of her head. In fact she was going on a date that very evening.

So as she sat in the little bar waiting on her date she nervously checks her make-up for the tenth time since she had arrived. She peers down at her phone checking her date Simon's photo again so she can recognize him in the busy Friday night crowd. Her eyes keep darting to the door every time it opens and every time it is not Simon her face falls. She looks around at the clock nervously and chews her lip he is an hour late. She looks around the bar and she orders another drink when a man comes over to her table and sits down.

"Alright darlin, wanna join me for a drink?" He asks and Molly smiles and shakes her head.

"Thank you but no I am waiting for someone." She says nervously and he chuckles.

"What ever love, your loss." He says standing up scraping the chair loudly. He walks back to his friends who laugh loudly at him. Molly looks away from him as he flushes red and she focuses on her wine.

A few more wines later Molly checks her phone and sighs when there are no messages. She stands up and steadies herself, as the wine has gone to her head, and she makes her way to the door. She catches the eye of the man from earlier and he scowls at her. She looks away quickly and rushes out of the door and into the street where the chilled air makes her fuzzy head fuzzier. She decides on going on a walk to help clear her head.

_Maybe Internet dating is not for me._ Molly thinks as she pulls out her phone to check if Simon had texted or called but there was nothing. She quickly signs on to her online dating account to find Simon and give her a piece of her mind but she cannot find his account anywhere. She shoves her phone in her bag and feels tears stinging her eyes.

"Did you get stood up darlin?" Comes a voice from behind her making her jump.

"Oh, you scared me!" Molly says as the man from the bar walks over followed by his friends.

"Where is your date?" He goes on ignoring her. She looks at the group then to the floor. _Stay calm._

"He couldn't make it." She says and the mans friends laugh.

"Think you were lied to Dave." One of them says while the other chuckle.

"Look's that way mate." Dave says looking cross. "How about that drink? The night is still young." He asks and Molly shakes her head and backs away trying to smile.

"Thank you again but I really need to g-go." She says as calmly as she can and he frowns.

"Come on just one drink." He says and Molly bumps into someone and gasps as their hands take hold her.

I think the lady said no." Comes a familiar and very welcome voice. Molly spins around and she smiles widely at John who is looking at her with a concerned look.

"John!" She squeaks and he nods and gives her a little reassuring smile. "Leave." He says stepping in front of Molly who stares at the men who are looking at john with a look of humor and surprise.

"Who are you?" Dave asks and John scoffs.

"That is none of your concern. Now I suggest you turn around and get out of here."

"Or what little man?" Dave says who looks at his friends who all chuckle. John laughs with them and in the blink of an eye Dave is on the floor groaning and John is shaking his hand. Molly gasps in shock and Dave's friends all stare at him in surprise.

"Take him and leave." John says and he turns back to Molly who is watching as Mike is being pulled away. She turns to John and stares at him with wide eyes.

"John." She says in a whisper.

"Sorry Molly, are you ok?" He asks and she nods.

"Are _you _ok?" She asks looking down at his trembling hands. He lifts up his hands and stares at them and nods.

"I am fine." He says stuffing his hands in his coat pockets.

"Are you sure?" She asks and he nods, "Ok well, thank you... for that." She says and he nods curtly.

"You're welcome." He says pausing and looking her over, "Were you on a date?" Molly nods and blushes.

"I was supposed to be," She says and John frowns, "I got stood up." She says with a little smile and a shrug.

"Oh, sorry." John says and Molly chuckles.

"Don't be it was hardly your fault." She says and John smiles.

"No well, I am still sorry. It is never pleasant."

"It definitely is not." She says and John nods. Molly sticks out her arm for a cab and John chews on his lip.

"Well since you know, you are out and all, and you look so lovely. Would you like to come have a drink with me?" He asks as a cab begins to pull towards them.

"You?" Molly asks in surprise and john snorts.

"Is the thought really that horrific?" He says and Molly bushes furiously.

"Oh no, no John I didn't mean... I mean really?" She splutters and he smiles.

"Well yes, we are friends and we are both alone this evening, why not?" He asks, "I assume you were going to just go home?" He asks quirking an eyebrow to the waiting cab.

"Yes, yes I was," she says and she smiles, "I would love to go have a drink with you John." She says with a smile and he nods happily.

"Excellent!" He says sounding genuinely pleased and opening the cab door for her.

Molly is laughing hard as john explains about a patient of his who was admitted to the Accident and Emergency he had been working at with a light bulb stuck in his mouth.

"... Apparently the guy had been in with his friend earlier in the day with his friend who had done the exact same thing as he did. The curiosity got the best of him and he was sure that he could do it and well... he ended up on my table." John says with a chuckle. Molly wipes her eyes and tries to calm her breathing.

"I cannot believe some people!" She say breathlessly making John laugh. He hands her a napkin and she wipes her eyes. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, but you are right I really do worry about humanity sometimes." He says smiling at Molly as she grins and wipes her eyes.

"Oh thank you John, I needed that." She says and John nods.

"Me too. Nice to hear laughing." He says and Molly smiles and bites her lip.

"How are you enjoying work?" Molly asks after a short spell of tense quite, John shrugs and sips on his rum and coke.

"It is ok, it gets tough though sometimes. I am used to dealing with adults and when kids come in really sick it is hard. It keeps me busy though so that is good." He says giving her a sad smile. Molly nods but feels her body tensing at the knowledge of where the conversation is steering. They had been skirting around the subject of Sherlock for a good few hours having talked about Lestrade and his divorce being finalized and Mrs Hudson going on a cruise with her sister just to get away.

Molly bit her lip as John opened his mouth to speak and he just knew from the sad look on his face where he was about to go.

"So, so how have you been, you know since..." He sighs unable to finish his sentence.

"It has been hard. I am just taking it day by day." She says feeling a part of her heart chip away at her having to continue this lie. She wants nothing more than to tell John that Sherlock is alive. John nods at her and sips at his drink.

"Greg told me about what the papers have been saying about the tow of you." John says and Molls eye widen.

"You didn't see it?" She asks feeling genuinely shocked. "It was all over the papers fro a good week. It was so embarrassing. It made me out do be some desperate girl who followed him around everywhere." Molly says with a sigh.

"No I didn't read it, I um... well I didn't go out much after." He says his face going a little red. "Mrs Hudson had to scream at me and told me to get off my arse." He says with a little smile. Molly is well aware for how fond John and Sherlock are of Mrs Hudson and how she cares for them as well.

"She is great." Molly says and John smiles.

"She is. She is the one who got me the job. Her doctor was complaining about the lack of staff and she says she knew just the person to help out." He chuckles and Molly smiles.

"I am glad you are keeping busy."

"Yeah, I am just muddling through." He says and Molly pats his hand. He smiles and holds her hand. She smiles at him and gives his hand a squeeze he leans towards her to kiss her and she leans back with wide eyes and jumps up. John stares up at her looking mortified.

"John I..."

"No Molly, god I am sorry. I never thought..."

"It's ok I just... I... I should go." She says picking up her coat. John stands up and runs his hands through his hair.

"Let me walk you to the cab." He says and Molly nods and pulls on her coat. John leads the way out of the bar and holds the door open for her. Molly waits out in the street and signals for a cab. One slides up straight away and opens the door really wanting to get away from there as quick as possible. She turns to John who smiles at her nervously.

"I am sorry Molly, my head is all over the place." He says and he nods and gives him a smile.

"It is really ok. It was lovely seeing you tonight." She says and she climbs into the cab.

"Good night Molly." He says and she closes the door. She waves and he waves back stiffly before jamming his hands back in his pockets. As she rounds the corner she sees him walking away and she sighs. She closes her eyes and before she can even try to fathom what the hell just happened her phone buzzes. She rummages in her bag expecting it to be a sorry text from John or a message from Simon but when she doesn't recognize the number she gasps and quickly opens up the message. She frowns down at he phone when she reads the message.

I HOPE YOU AND JOHN HAD A PLESENT EVENING. SH

She looks around the busy streets and scans the crowds around her looking for a sign of Sherlock anywhere.

**_Where are you? M_**

CLOSE. SH

**_Are you ok? M_**

She waited patiently for an answer hoping he would reply quickly and when the cab pulled up outside her house he still hadn't. She quickly paid the cabbie and ran up the stairs into her building. She rushed to her door and threw it open before quickly closing it.

"Sherlock?" She says in a carrying whisper but she is not answered. She walks through the flat checking in each room to see if he was actually there but when she walks into the living and he is not there she slouches down on the couch and sighs. Her phone buzzes in her hand.

DID YOU KISS HIM? SH

Molly frowns at her phone and it buzzes again.

IGNORE THAT LAST MESSAGE IT IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS. SH

**_We didn't kiss and you are right it is none of your business. M_**

Molly stews while she wait for his reply, she is how amazed how angry Sherlock can make her by just texting her. She cannot believe his gall, what is it to him who she kisses, even if it were John. She can kiss whom ever she damn well pleases. Her phone vibrates on her knee.

JOHN IS A SERIAL DATER. SH

Molly scoffs and types a quick angry reply.

**_Look Sherlock, whom I choose to kiss is none of your concern. I am sure you have other things to be thinking about other than my love life. I did not kiss him, he is a friend and I don't feel for him like that. Also where are you? Are you safe? M_**

She waited patiently for his reply fully expecting a large and lecturing reply about her terrible taste in men and she was slightly miffed when she opened the next message.

I AM SAFE. SH

She was hoping for an argument, she felt frustrated and wanted to have a rant but those two words seemed to calm her. She was pleased, happy that he was ok.

**_Please come home. M x_**

The message had left her phone before she even realized she had written it. She chewed on her lip awaiting an answer and the minutes ticked by before she got a reply.

I CANNOT YET. SH

**_What are you doing? M_**

I AM ONTO SOMETHING BIG. NO NEED TO WORRY. SH

**_Please be careful. M_**

I WILL. SH

YOU TOO. SH

X. SH

Molly stares down at her phone screen and smiled at the little kiss he sent her and she put her phone down and kicked off her shoes and sighed feeling better than she had in weeks. The worry she had been feeling about Sherlock being hurt finally off her back.

**Thank you everyone for your kind words and for following and favouring this story. I have loved writing it and I am sad to say that it is finished. I have the next few chapters done and I will get them up for you over the next couple of days. I really hope you enjoy.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Overwhelmed, that how I feel with the reactions to this story. Thank you for all the lovely PM's you are all great. Hope you enjoy this chapter, it gets... real! ;) **

Molly's days started to meld into one and she began losing track of her days, hardly going home at all, only to change and sleep. Her house began feeling like her work and her work; well it began feeling like her home. She constantly seemed to be wrist deep in some poor dears chest cavity, in fact that is how she preferred it to be. She preferred to be kept busy and if that meant working herself into the ground then so be it.

She was on her fourth autopsy of the day when the doors open and she looks up from her stitching to the men in the doorway.

"Miss Hooper?" The tall grey haired one asks with a winning smile. Molly frowns at him and looks him over quickly. He is wearing a smart tailored grey suit and a pair of heavy looking boots and she frowns at them thinking that it looks very odd. He clears his throat and she looks back up at his face.

"Yes, I am doctor Hooper." Molly says and his eyebrows rise and he chuckles.

"My apologies _doctor _Hooper." He turns to his shorted brown haired companion and he nods and leaves the room.

"Who are you?" Molly asks frowning at the doorway then back to the man who is moving further into the room and looking around.

"I am Sebastian Moran." He says looking around the room still. "I was a friend of James. Or as you know him, Jim." He says meeting her eyes again. Molly's blood runs cols and she stares at the man.

"I... I..."

"Don't speak." He says his tone low and dangerous he keeps moving around and Molly turns to keep him in her sights. She spots her scalpel and she moves towards it and Moran tuts. "Don't be silly doctor Hooper." He says looking down at the scalpel and Molly freezes and swallows hard, she feels ill and her stomach churns. "I am not here to harm you," He smiles and he picks up the scalpel, "yet." He pauses and moves nearer her and she stands stock still until he reaches her. He lifts the scalple to her face and her breath catches.

"What do you want?" She asks her voice quiet and shaky.

"Jim used you to get near Holmes but I think he might have underestimated your worth. I am here to offer you an… opportunity."

"An opportunity?" Molly asks her eyebrows shooting up.

"Yes, a job if you like."

"I have a job." She says and he walks around the cold room with a smile.

"I can see that Miss Hooper. I will however need you to remain here and when we would need certain 'results' I would have you doctor them. So to speak." He says with a little chuckle at his attempt of humor. Molly just stares at him and he smiles. "Of course I will not be expecting you to answer straight away Miss Hooper a decision like this cannot be made in a day. You have one week to think about it." He says with a tone of finality, Molly stares at him in disbelief. If it were not for his terrifyingly clam but no doubt explosive demeanor she would have told him exactly where he could stick it.

"Why?" She asks in stead and he smiles at her again with his chilling smile.

"Well Miss Hooper, you have very useful skills." He says looking down at the body on the trolley she was working on and then back up at her. "And let's be honest dear girl what have you got to lose? I mean who is there to worry about? Your mother, who hardly comes to visit you even during this very sad time of you losing your beau."

"He was not my…"

"I couldn't care less what he was to you." Moran says sharply and Molly looks down at the floor avoiding his angry stare. "So why not make the best of a bad situation and make some money, and you will be paid handsomely. Then Molly you can buy some real friends." He says and Molly closes her eyes as the tears sting her eyes. She hears his phone buzz and he pulls it out of his jacket pocket. "Think about it and I will contact you in one week." She looks up as he starts to head to the door.

"What happens if I say no?" She asks and Moran turns around and smiles.

"If you were to say no all I could advise is to keep one of those freezers free for yourself." He smiles again and winks. "Have a nice day." He says as he sweeps out of the doors. As the doors swing in his wake Molly's knees start to shake violently and she falls to the floor and begins to cry.

* * *

Molly is not sure of how long she is on the floor but she only really realizes that she is when shee hears the shrill persistent ringing of her mobile. She looks around herself and slowly and shakily pulls herself off of the floor. She wipes her eyes and is surprised that her cheeks are dry and that she must have been there for some time if she had run out of tears. She reaches for her still ringing phone and realizes she still has her gloves on and she pulls them off tossing them onto the worktop and snatches up the phone, which had been slowly vibrating over the cool metal surface.

"Hello?" She says her voice hoarse and not like her voice at all.

"Is that Miss Molly Hooper?" A lady asks on the other end sounding relived. Molly looks at the screen and sees that the number has been withheld.

"Um yes I am Molly Hooper."

"Oh thank goodness. My name is Mary Morstan; I am a staff nurse in the Brekenham Beacon Hospital."

"Hospital?"

"Yes, we have been trying to get in touch with you for most of the day. We have John Watson in here and we have been trying to contact his family but yours was the only number he had in his phone."

"John? Oh my god is he ok?"

"He was mugged, he is ok, and he was knocked out and is a little bashed up but other wise he is ok. He asked me to call you."

"He asked for me?" Molly asks frowning.

"Yes he said there was only you. He was very insistent that he had no friends." She says and molly frowns.

"John?" She asks and Mary stays silent, "John Watson was asking for me?"

"Yes, he said Dr Hooper, call her if you insist." Mary says and Molly chuckles.

"That doesn't sound like…" Molly's mouth pops open and her eyes widen and she smiles. It wasn't John it was Sherlock. "I will be right there!" She says and she hangs up on Mary and quickly rushes around tidying up after herself. She slides the body back inside the cooler and files away her paperwork in record time. She slips off her lab coat and garbs her bag and rushes for the doors. Michael pushes through them just as she reaches them and she weaves past him.

"Hey, where you going?" He hollers and she spins around.

"Out!" She calls back and she hears him sigh as she pushes through the doors into the stairwell. She runs through the hospital swaying in and out of people who comment loudly on her rudeness. She crashes through the main doors and into the street where she flags down a passing cab. She opens the door and throws herself in before it has fully come to a stop.

"Brekenham Hospital please as quickly as you can." She says slamming the door and sitting back. The cabbie smiled at her taking her request as a challenge. She watches as the city starts to thin out and the buildings become less close. She is glad as the cabbie is whizzing in amongst the traffic and buildings like a mad man. If she weren't so concerned about what state she was going to find Sherlock in she would have been worried for her life. The panic from her meeting with Sebastian Moran was still very raw and it was taking all her self-control not to scream. This cab ride really was the least of her concerns for now she had to get to Sherlock.

She begins to wonder how badly he is hurt if the nurse thought she needed to be called. She could imagine he was hooked up to all types of machines and she felt nervous and scared not knowing his condition.

Molly can see the hospital and pulls out her purse and readies the money. The cab stops and she jumps out basically throwing a wad of notes at the driver and muttering a quick thank you before rushing towards the main entrance. She heads straight to the reception and when she see's no one is there she starts chewing on her lip. She looks around and notices a little bell and rings it three times quickly. Angry sharp-featured lady rounds the corner from behind a stack of files and Molly almost backs away at the angry look she receives.

"Yes?" The woman asks and Molly frowns at her rudeness.

"I am looking for my friend, he was admitted earlier, I think…" Molly says feeling silly for not at least finding when he was admitted and what ward he was in to avoid the exasperated glare of the receptionist who is staring at her with her arms crossed. "… His name is John, john Watson." Molly goes on the receptionist sighs and sits down heavily and quickly types in his name, she taps her fingers impatiently while his information loads up.

"He was admitted last night and it is ward twelve." She says and Molly nods and gives her a little smile.

"Thanks." Molly says and she turns and rushes off down the hallway. She makes her way thought the hospital and she eventually finds Ward Twelve. The doors swing open for her and she heads straight to the nurse's desk. There is a red headed nurse sitting there writing away on a file and as she approaches the nurse smiles up at her.

"Hello can I help you?" She asks and molly recognizes her voice from the phone.

"Yes I am Molly Hooper I think you called me earlier?" She asks and the nurse stands up.

"Oh you are Molly," Molly nods and the nurse smiles at her, "thank goodness you found us, I was beginning to wonder if you would. I am Mary it was me who called you."

"Hi Mary, thanks for calling. How is he?" Molly asks and she hears a crash and someone yelling. Mary sigs and motions for Molly to follow her, Molly follows and she hears a familiar voice.

"… You don't really expect me to eat this filth do you? It is a wonder so many people die in these places." Sherlock says from behind a set of doors.

"We had to put him in her, he was upsetting the other patients." Mary whispers as they stop outside the doors.

"Mr Watson, I can assure you it is perfectly fresh." Another female voice says from behind the doors and Mary pushes open the doors and Molly sees Sherlock sitting up in bed wearing a blue hospital robe and her hand covers her mouth as she takes in his battered face.

"I can assure you that is it not nurse Craig!" Sherlock says and he looks like he is going to go off on a rant about the quality of the food when Molly steps into the room behind Mary who lets nurse Craig leave. Sherlock turns to scowl at Mary when his eyes flicker to Molly then he double takes and his eyes widen.

"Molly." He says sounding genuinely shocked. Sherlock feels his heart skip a beat at the sight of Molly and he cannot help but think ho he has missed her, he instantly dismisses this as he has been lacking in human contact and it was nice to see a familiar face._ Very nice indeed._

"Hi." She says and he scowls again at turns to Mary.

"I told you not to bother her!" He says angrily making Molly frown and Mary just smiles and shrugs.

"And I told you Mr Watson that you needed someone to look after you." Mary says sweetly looking over his notes.

"I do not!" Sherlock says grumpily avoiding looking at Molly. Mary just chuckles and picks up his mess. She walks towards the door and moves molly towards the chair and smiles.

"There is no shame in asking for help John." She looks down at Molly and smiles. "Molly would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes please." She says staring at the woman in awe; she had never met someone who let Sherlock's attitude wash over her so easily.

"I will be just outside if you need me John." She says with a wide smile.

"Why would I need you?" He says and Molly stares at him in all his stubborn glory, all crossed arms and pouty.

"Oh I don't know, I am sure you can think of something," She says with a chuckle and she leaves the room smiling.

"Insufferable woman!" Sherlock huffs and Molly turns around to face him. He is still looking everywhere but at her and she sighs.

"Sherlock!" She says quietly and he swallows but continues to not look at her. "Will you please look at me?" She says and he closes his eyes and frowns. He opens his eyes and turns his head slowly and his icy blue eyes meet hers. Molly's breath catches and she tries to control her reddening cheeks. She remembers the last time they were together and she knows that she has failed in taming her blush.

"Why are you here?" He asks looking away again and she frowns.

"I was called and asked to come. I was told you were hurt." She says bristling a little as she looks over his face he has a bruised cheekbone and a cut lip. He doesn't look to bad but she can see that he has had some stitches on his head.

"You shouldn't have come." He says with a frown and Molly sighs.

"For god sake Sherlock!" She says through her teeth and he glances sideways at her, _she looks mad_. "Look whether you like it or not you are my friend and when someone finds out their friend is hurt they want to make sure they are ok. What the hell else was I supposed to do?" Molly says finding it hard to rein in her anger. Sherlock looks over at her and frowns.

"You are angry?"

"Damn right I am angry! I have had …" The door swings open and nurse Craig comes in with Molly's tea and places it down and quickly leaves before Molly can thank her.

"What have you had?" Sherlock asks and molly looks up at him over the brim of her mug.

"Sorry?"

"You were about to have a rant." He says and Molly scowls, she had momentarily forgotten she was mad at him.

"Yes well you, you are an insufferable arse." She says and Sherlock's eyebrows rise up.

"So I have been told," He says but then frowns, "never by you though." He muses and Molly blinks at him.

"Well I, I have changed." She says sitting up straighter and Sherlock frowns at her again and his eyes roam over her. She tries not to squirm under his gaze.

"Yes," he says slowly his eyes making their way up her body, "yes you have haven't you." He meets her eyes again and she looks away at the intensity of his look.

"Well I um…" She plays with the cup nervously and Sherlock smiles.

"I am glad not everything has changed." He says and she flushes again and looks up at him through her eyelashes.

"Stop."

"I'm sorry," he says with the ghost of a smile, "you look well Molly, a little tired but otherwise healthy."

"Unlike you." She says looking over his cuts and bruises. She doesn't realise it but she moves forwards. "What happened to you Sherlock?" She asks trying her best not to blush anymore.

"I may have underestimated someone." He says with a shrug and Molly raises her eyebrows for him to continue. He sighs and he pushes himself up so he is sitting straighter. He groans a little and Molly stands up to help him. She moves his pillows and plumps them before sliding then back behind him.

"Better?" She asks and he stares at her and nods.

"Yes." He says his voice hoarse and he quickly clears his throat and looks away, "That's fine, thank you Molly." He says in his normal snappy tone. Molly frowns at him and he clears his throat again as Molly sits back down.

"So are you going to tell me what happened?" She asks picking up her rapidly cooling tea.

"I have told you, I underestimated someone." He says still a little snappily. Molly scowls at him and she sees him glance at her from the corners of his eyes and he sighs. "What do you want me to tell you? I was looking for connections to Moriarty and I ran into some trouble. It seems his network is harder to find on your own and with limited recourses." He says sounding frustrated and a little embarrassed Molly laughs and Sherlock looks at her in disbelief, "Is something funny?"

"Yes," She says placing down her now chilled tea, "if you wanted a way in why didn't you just say?"

"What are you talking about Molly?" He asks sitting up again his curiosity obviously piqued.

"Well not two hours ago I had my life threatened by the very charming predecessor of Jim."

"You what?" Sherlock asks sounding very confused. "Who?" He asks his voice quiet.

"Sebastian…"

"Moran?" Sherlock asks and Molly nods. Sherlock closes his eyes and he runs his hands through his hair. "This is not good Molly. You don't understand who this man is…"

"Oh I understand perfectly well thank you Sherlock. I met him remember he definitely gave of the aura of a killer and I know this may be my last week alive and that I really should write a will." She says with an attempt at humour and Sherlock frowns.

"Molly." Sherlock says his tone soft but she lifts up her hands and he falls quite.

"Don't. Just don't. I do not need to hear any apologies or anything; it is my own damn fault. I got myself mixed up in all of this. It is what I deserve after everything I have done." She says and Sherlock stares at her in quiet disbelief. He cannot quite believe how scared what she is saying is making him and what he is feeling scares him even more.

"What did he ask of you?" He asks dreading the answer.

"Well he came into the hospital and made me and offer of employment, he wanted me to be his inside person and forge records when he needed it. He gave me a week to decide or…" She runs her thumb along her neck and Sherlock's eyes widen.

"No!" He says loudly startling Molly and making her clutch her heart. He throws the covers off himself and moves to get out of bed and Molly sighs and stands up.

"What are you doing?" She asks trying to wrestle his bare legs from swinging off of the bed.

"Molly unhand me!" He says as she pins his legs down and she stares up at him a little red faces and blowing her hair out of her face, he scowls at her.

"You cannot get up." She protests and he huffs.

"Yes I can. I must." He says and she frowns.

"Why? What can you do? You are supposed to be dead." Molly says quietly.

"I can help because you helped me." He says and she stares at him, the conviction in his eyes startles her. "You helped me Molly." He says again and Molly chuckles.

"Yeah well I love you, I was blinded." She says and she realises what she just said and coughs nervously as he frowns at her. "Sorry I… ugh…" She moves away from his bed towards the window and stares out. "Look Sherlock, I appreciate it I really do, but you really don't need to worry about this. I will sort it out. I will talk to Greg or John. They can help me."

"They wouldn't know where to start." He says from directly behind her making her jump. She spins around and cannot help but smile at the usually dapper sleuth wearing, a quite frankly, horrific hospital robe.

"Something funny?" He asks and Molly shakes her head. "I didn't think so. Look Molly please let me help you. I owe you." He says and Molly sighs at him and he smiles smugly knowing she has caved and she shoves him back towards the bed.

"Today you rest, you can try and save my life tomorrow."

"I will have you know I do my best work when I am lying down." He says and Molly blushes crimson at the imagery that flashes through her mind and he quirks an eyebrow at her. "Molly Hooper!" He says with a chuckle and she bites her lip. Mary comes into the room with a clipboard and smiling, she makes Molly jump back and she looks at the floor. _Was Sherlock flirting with her?_

"Mr Watson what are you doing out of bed?" Mary asks smiling between the two of them.

"I was using the bathroom that is still allowed isn't it?" Sherlock snaps and Mary chuckles.

"Is he always like this?" Mary asks Molly and she smiles.

"Pretty much." Molly says with a smile then looks at Sherlock who is looking at her with a hint of amusement. "In fact he always is." She says and he narrows his eyes at her.

"I thought as much." She says with a wink and she turns to Sherlock who has now narrowed his eyes at her. "You will be delighted to know your discharge papers have come though."

"About time." Sherlock says and Molly slaps his arm. "Ouch!" Molly glares at him as he rubs his arm.

"So he is ok to go home?" Molly asks sounding surprised. Mary nods happily while Sherlock signs his release papers.

"There are no major injuries and the swelling has gone down. You will just have to come back in a week to have the stitches removed John but other than that you should heal up nicely." Mary says taking the papers back from Sherlock.

Molly smiles at Sherlock's eagerness to leave. Mary says goodbye and as soon as she is out the door Sherlock springs up. He digs around the little cupboard for this things and Molly watches as he organises his clothes.

"They didn't use fabric softener." He mumbles to himself as he unfolds his t-shirt. He looks up at Molly and quirks and eyebrow and she spins around.

"Sorry." She says quickly, she hears him undress and she smiles at the memory of his broad pale chest.

"Molly are you blushing?" Sherlock asks and she crosses her arms.

"Shut up and get changed so we can go." She says picking up her bag. He taps her shoulder and she turns around, he is looking down at her and she swallows hard. The sight of Sherlock in normal everyday clothes doing funny things to her, he looked great in a pair of jeans.

"Where are you going?" She asks her voice a little higher than normal making Sherlock smile.

"Well I was hoping I could come to yours for now, until I sort this mess out."

"Do you really think something can be done?" Molly asks sadly and Sherlock frowns.

"I can try." He says and Molly nods and sighs.

"Ok, trying can't hurt can it?"

"Exactly now come on I want to get out of here." He says putting his hand between Molly's shoulder blades and steering her out of the room. As they make their way though the hospital Sherlock puts on a black baseball cap and they quickly jump into a cab and sit down while Molly tell the cabbie where to go.

* * *

The cab pulls up outside Molly's building and Sherlock pulls up his hood hiding his face further and then opens the door. He turns and shocks Molly by holding out his hands for her, she takes them and he helps her out of the cab and closes the door behind her. He keeps hold of one of her hands as they climb the stairs to her building. Molly cannot help the heat that creeps over her face and she is very conscious of the fact her palm is becoming hot and clammy. She peeks up at Sherlock who is his head down obviously trying to stay as hidden as possible. He opens the door for her.

"Thank you." She says and he smiles. Much to her distain she has to let go of his hand as she unlocks the door as it has become sticky and the landlord keeps forgetting to fix it.

"Molly?" A voice shouts from the upstairs stairwell making both her and Sherlock freeze. She rattles the keys franticly and just as the door opens Molly catches sight of her loud and garish neighbour Jennifer descending the stairs in sky-high heels. "I thought that was you." Jennifer says shrilly and Molly turns to her and gives her a weak smile.

"Hi Jennifer." Molly says standing in front of Sherlock.

"I haven't seen you around for a long time." Jennifer says and Molly shrugs. "Who is your friend?" She asks her eyes darting to Sherlock.

"This is…"

"Her boyfriend." Sherlock says taking her hand again and Molly's eyes widen.

"Oh wow!" Jennifer says sounding genuinely shocked and molly cannot help but feel offended.

"Did you need something?" Molly asks snappily and Jennifer's eyebrows shoot up.

"No not really I just came to ask you about the stuff in the papers." She says and Molly frowns. "It's just that I saw you in them when I was in holiday, apparently I missed quite a lot." She grins and Molly chuckles nervously.

"Well it was all lies." She says and Jennifer arches her perfectly preened eyebrow.

"That's not what the papers said."

"You shouldn't believe everything you read Jennifer." Molly snaps and Jennifer chuckles.

"I suppose." She says narrowing her eyes. "He did kill himself though, that Sherlock guy I always heard to talking about." Molly swallows hard and Sherlock shuffles beside her.

"That's right."

"Hmm, so what actually happened? I mean you were his 'friend' right?" she says laying the implications on thick.

"I don't really want to…" Molly began but Sherlock gripped her hand and she paused.

"Look Jennifer is it? Molly doesn't want to talk about it so why don't you just scurry away." Sherlock says and Jennifer's eyes widen.

"Excuse me?" Jennifer says in a shocked voice. "Are you going to let him talk to me like that?" She asks turning to Molly. Molly stares up at Sherlock and he winks at her. Molly turns to Jen and smiles.

"Piss of Jennifer and keep your big nose out of other people business." Molly says and she pulls shocked Sherlock into her apartment and closes the door loudly. They listen to her angrily climbing the stairs her heels clickity clacking off the stone. Molly snorts when she hears her saying "Bitch," and her door slams. Molly starts to laugh and she smiles up at Sherlock.

"God that felt good. I cannot stand that woman." She says and Sherlock smiles.

"I guessed as much."

"She is always so nosey. She is always in other people business. She is forever asking me about things to do with work and you."

"Me? What about me?" He asks and Molly feels his finger move against her knuckles and she realises they are still holding hands. She looks down at their joined hands and her stomach flutters.

"She um, she wanted to know about you and your work. I think she had a little crush." She says and she looks back up at him. He is looking down at their hands with a strange look, molly is unable to read his face like he can read hers and she panics and pulls her hand free. He looks up at her and she smiles. "Thank you for your help." She says and she walks down the hall and into her living room. Sherlock watches her as she turns into and he looks back down at his hand frowning.

"My pleasure." He says quietly as he notes the flutter of his accelerated pulse against his wrist. He looks back towards the kitchen and his lips quirk in a little smile.

* * *

Molly is rattling around in the kitchen looking through her sparse cupboards for something to eat when she hears Sherlock come into the kitchen.

"I really don't have much food, I haven't been here much. We should probably just order in." She says and when she doesn't get an answer she turns around. Sherlock is looking at her with a type of intensity that makes her freeze. "Sherlock what is it?" She asks but he doesn't answer, he moves slowly towards her and she backs up a little and hits the counter top. "Sherlock what…" He silences her by putting a finger on her lips. His lips twitch with a smile when he finds they are as soft as her remembered. Molly stares up at him with wide startled eyes as he moves his finger to the corner of her mouth. Her breath catches when his eyes meet hers and she finds them smouldering. She never knew eyes that blue could burn so intensely. Sherlock's hand slowly moves around to cup her face, his long finger lying lightly on her neck. Molly's mind is buzzing and when he takes half a step closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers, she feels like she might pass out. She instinctively licks her lips and he smiles. He begins to lean down nearer her when her hands shoot up and crab hold of his shoulders stopping his lips inches from hers. He freezes and she blinks rapidly as she breath races.

"Molly what are you doing?" He asks and she is silent for a moment while she tries to clear her head. She was not quite sure what the hell she was doing; in all honesty she wasn't even sure how her arms got there. It certainly wasn't her body that done it. Her body was screaming out for him but her mind must have been hesitant.

"What are you doing?" She asks and he rolls his eyes.

"I thought that was quite obvious." He says running his thumb over her cheek.

"Why then? Why are you doing this? You don't have to?" she says and her body screams at her for being a damn fool. She could feel her body wanting nothing more than to get closer to him. The heat coming from him was almost unbearable. She knew thought she did not want to do this just because he pitied her. Like when her kissed her before, that made her feel horrible. She couldn't handle that again. Sherlock sighed and put his other hand on her face trapping her there and making her look at him.

"I know I don't have to but Molly, I _want _to!" He says and he closes the distance between them and presses his lips to hers. She lets out a little moan at the shock but as her body realises her brain is no longer putting up a fight she relaxes. The feel of Sherlock's lips against hers is electric and she sighs. As her lips part she can taste Sherlock on her tongue. She grips Sherlock's Shoulders as his mouth moves in sync with her own. His hands that are still cupping her face begin to move down her neck, shoulders and then rest on her waist. His grip tightens on her when she flicks her tongue out to taste his lips. She knows she had startled him and she pulls away.

"Sorry." She says breathlessly and he rests his head against her forehead.

"Don't be." He says just as breathlessly as her and she smiles, it had to be the sexiest sound she had ever heard and as he presses his lips back to hers she tries not to smile at the thought that she had made him make that noise. She had honestly thought that was all she was going to get from Sherlock but he seemed more than willing to continue and she was not going to deny him. His grip on her gets firmer and so do his lips. Molly is holding tightly to him and then it is her time to gasp when he slips his tongue between her parted lips. She feels him smile obviously pleased with her response and she smiles to herself. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him even closer. He groans at her surprising strength as she pulls him flush against her and slides her tongue against his. The feeling surprises Sherlock and he is pleased to find it very nice.

Molly cannot believe that this is actually happening to her, she is standing in her kitchen with Sherlock Holmes kissing like a pair of horny teenagers. She loved it.

Not to be outdone Sherlock wraps his arms around Molly's waist and pulls her upwards so she is sitting on the kitchen counter. Molly gasps as Sherlock spreads her legs and steps between them, not once breaking their kiss.

"Who are you and what have you done with Sherlock Holmes?" Molly mumbles against his lips he chuckles and claims her mouth again. Molly moans as Sherlock's hands move down her thighs and she tries to clamp them together as a bolt of pleasure shoots through her. Molly wraps her legs around Sherlock's hips and presses into him. He groans loudly and she nips his lower lip.

"Bedroom?" He asks and Molly freezes, she did not see that coming.

"What?" She gasps. Sherlock swallows and he looks like he is struggling to look at her.

"I- I… do you want to…"

"Yes!" Molly nearly shouts and Sherlock looks up at her and smiles looking thoroughly relieved; he thought he had seriously misread the situation.

"Hold on." He says and he picks her up effortlessly and he walks them into the bedroom while she sucks and kisses at his neck. He kicks her door open and lowers her onto the middle of the bed and straightens up.

Molly chews on her lip as she watching him. She can read him now, he is nervous. She gets into her knees and holds out her hands.

"Come here." She says and he swallows hard but moves onto the bed and kneels in front of her. "You ok?" She asks and he nods.

"I am fine," He says and then he sighs, "I have never done this sober before." He says and Molly sighs and smiles.

"I thought you were going to say…"

"That I was a virgin?" He asks and Molly nods feeling a little embarrassed. He smiles and shakes his head. "A common misconception, I am not a virgin nor am I gay." He says with a little smile.

"I guessed as much." She says and he quirks his eyebrow at him. She bit her lip knowing that he knew she thought he was gay at one point.

"It has been a while since…" He says and molly nods knowing full well how long he has been clean for and if that was the last time he was with someone it made her feel slightly better about her three year dry spell.

"Me too." She says and she feels herself blush, Sherlock looks surprised at this revelation.

"I thought you and Moriarty…"

"Jim? No, god we only went on three dates. I don't just sleep with someone after three dates." She says, "I mean Jim was a stranger." She adds feeling him about to comment on their lack of dates.

"And you know me?" He asks and she nods.

"Yes, I know you well enough and I trust you." She says and he smiles.

"You shouldn't." He says and she takes his hand and he links their fingers together.

"Probably." She says with a little smile and he pulls her towards him.

"We probably should do this." He says and Molly nods as his warm breath washes over her. "There is no going back after this." He adds and she nods as his fingers move to the hem of her t-shirt. He locks eyes with her and she licks her lips. "Tell me to stop." He says his voice deep and it vibrates through her and she shakes her head. His hands are now against the soft skin of her waist and she sees his jaw is tight. She leans down and kisses along his tight jaw and her lips stop by his ear.

"Don't stop." She says her lips brushing against his ear making his gasp. His hands travel upward pulling her clothes up with them. She looks down at him and he swallows and pulls the top over her head. She smiles when he hums appreciatively as he pulls her free of the top. She blinks as she top comes over her eyes and before she can see properly Sherlock crashes his lips to hers. Her arms fall over his shoulders and holds him tightly and grips him as he lowers her onto her back. Sherlock hovers over her barely touching her, she groans at the need for contact and she is rewarded with a large soft hand on her ribcage. She can feel Sherlock trembling slightly and she takes hold of his wrist and places it on her breast. He stops kissing her and looks down at her in surprise. He can feel her heart racing beneath his fingertips and she smiles up at him. He takes hold of her breast and her eyes flutter closed and content smile plays across her face. She starts to play with his hair and it sends a little shiver down his spine. He lowers his head again to kiss her and she smiles into the kiss and grips his hair as he continues the ministration of her breast. He runs a thumb over her bra and he feels her nipple harden and he does it again when she lets out a little gasp.

Molly runs her hands down Sherlock's back and grabs at the hem of his t-shirt and starts to tug it up his back. He moves so she can pull it over his head and she sits and watches him as he balls it up and throws it onto the floor. She stares up at him in awe of how amazing he looks. She lifts a shaking hand and touches the smooth expanse of his chest and when she does his eyes closes and his breathing becomes more ragged. She roams her hands over his pectorals and down over his smooth tight stomach. His eyes open when she plays with the little patch of hair at the top f his jeans and he looks down at her.

"What are you thinking?" He asks his voice tight. Molly looks up at him and she smiles.

"That I am in a dream." She says honestly and he leans down to her and she lies back.

"It is no dream." He says and Molly smiles and hooks her leg over his hip pulling him down and flipping him onto his back in one smooth move. She climbs onto his hips and she stares at her.

"Where did you learn that?" He asks with a smile.

"I took self defence lessons." She says and he raises his eyebrows.

"Handy." He says and she smiles as he pulls her towards him. Molly kisses him and he runs his hands over her back and snaps open her bra and she smiles and she wiggles out of it. She tries to cover herself when the memory of his comment about her lacking breasts at Christmas.

"Don't." He says taking hold of her wrists. "I was a fool, you look breathtaking." He says and Molly allows Sherlock to move her arms and she feels herself blush. "Lovely." He says to himself and he looks into Molly's eyes. She smiles and he sits up and wraps and arm around her while one goes to her exposed breast followed by, much to Molly's delight, his mouth. Molly sighs and tightens her grip on his hair. She cannot quite believe how good it feels to have Sherlock pinching, sucking and nipping at her breasts, this alone is already making her squirm on his lap emitting little groans from him. She carefully runs her fingers through his hair and he hums against her chest almost like he is purring. The sound makes her stomach clench and she desperately wants to her that again. She pushes him backwards onto the bed and hovers over him. She kisses him soundly as he holds her hips pulling them down to his as his other hand grips her hair. She moves his lips from his mouth and slowly moves her lips along his cheekbones and along his jaw. She sees his Adams apple bobbing and she licks at his neck and he gasps. She smiles and continues her descent down over his chest, flicking each of his nipples with her tongue making his chest rumble. She rakes her fingers down his stomach as she claims his mouth again. He kisses her back lazily and she smiles as she considers her next move. She bites her lip as she watches his relaxed face and she moves her hand further south, not toughing him, and then she stops her hand over the fly of his jeans. She plucks up all her courage and runs her finger over the bulge in his jeans. He hisses and his eyes snap open and meet hers, she smiles and he swallows hard.

"May I?" She asks and he nods looking a little lost for words. She smiles and unbuttons his jeans one button at a time her eyes not leaving his. She smiles when his eyes flutter closed at her touch and she moves down his legs and slowly pulls off his jeans. He pulls his legs free and she looks up at him and finds him resting on his elbows watching her.

"You next." He says and Molly stands up on the bed and shimmies her trousers down her hips while Sherlock watched from beneath her. She steps out of her trousers and kicks them onto the floor before kneeling back down. Sherlock takes her hand and pulls her to lie down next to him they lay on their sides facing each other and he runs a hand up her leg and back down to her knee and hitches it over his hip before rolling on top of her. His weight pressing her into the bed feels wonderful and she feels safe and warm.

"We can still stop." He says and Molly wraps her legs around him and smiles.

"No way." She says and he smiles.

"Thank god." He says and he kisses her. She smiles again and sighs as he runs his hand along her thigh. She moves her hips against him and he groans his hips buck against her as he kisses her neck and she moans loudly. "That is a beautiful noise." He murmurs before rotating his hips again.

"Sherlock please!" Molly moans and he nods against her neck. He tugs at her panties and shimmies them down her legs. She watches breathless as he strips off his briefs and her eyes widen at the sight of his impressive length. He catches her looking and smiles, pleased at her reaction, before he lowers himself back over her.

"Molly are you..."

"I am on birth control." She gasps as she feels him press against her.

Molly swallows hard and spreads her legs to make room for him and she sighs when she feels him move against her. She can see the strain in his shoulders and she pushes his hair out of his eyes and smiles at him before kissing him. She feels him tremble again before she feels him slowly and carefully fill her. Suddenly he is everywhere, the feel of him his heat and his smell is all she knows and it makes her freeze at the intensity of it. She hears him let out a huge content sigh and she runs her hands over his back and he kisses her nose before he begins to move. His movements are slightly erratic to begin with but when she slows him down with her hips his movements meet hers and they set a deliciously intense pace. She really starts to feel him then, he is long and thick and he was hitting all the right places. After a little time of getting used too each other they start to touch and kiss again and when Sherlock angles his hips Molly gasps loudly making her eyes shoot open. He smiles down at her looking mighty pleased with himself and she narrows her eyes at him and he does it again.

"Oh my god!" She gasps and he smiles. He keeps on his relentless pace and Molly starts to tremble. He moves a hand up her body and pinches a nipple between two fingers and it sends a bolt of pleasure between her legs and they both gasp.

"Damn!" He says the feeling catching him of guard and Molly smiles and rakes her fingers over his back making him thrust harder into her.

"Oh, Sh-Sherlock…" Molly says loudly and he growls again as Molly's pleasure heightens. Molly can feel her release coming and her breathing starts to get heavier. Sherlock's every thrust is hitting her right where she needs it. She has never felt something so intense before and it is driving her mad. After two powerful thrusts Sherlock pushes her over the edge and Molly tightens around him and cries out her release into his shoulder. Sherlock stills and revels in the feeling of being inside her as she climaxes around him. As soon as she begins to come back to reality she twitches her hips telling him to find his release and he doesn't need to be asked twice. He moves with more force holding her hips in the search for his release. His eyes widen when he feels Molly's insides fluttering again and she looks up at him in shock.

"Again?" He asks in awe and she just nods and smiles. He can feel his release coming quickly and when it hits him he is shocked by it. He has never felt something quite so startlingly intense before. The feeling of it plus the feeling of Molly's walls gripping him fro a second time was hard for him to comprehend.

The noises they had made together were animalistic and Sherlock was barely aware of the fact Molly's nails had dug into his back. He collapses onto her covering her body with his and breathing heavily.

It takes a few minutes for each of them to come out of their little daze and to catch their breaths and it is Molly that is first to move. She wiggles beneath Sherlock and he lifts himself off her realising he was probably crushing her but he doesn't move far he lays his head on her chest and she smiles and she runs her hand through his hair. They lie quietly for some time and Molly keeps playing with his hair, she had never realised how soft it would actually be. After a little while longer of Sherlock not moving, she stops moving and listens to him. She can hardly hear him breathe.

"Sherlock are you alive down there?" She asks and he chuckles making the bed shake.

"I am alive Molly. Very much alive, you have awoken the dead in me Molly Hooper." He says and Molly smiles.

"Well considering I killed you it was the least I could do." Molly says and he lifts his head and frowns.

"You misunderstand me." He says and she frowns.

"Then explain it." She says and Sherlock moves up the bed and lies down next to her.

"To really understand you need to know about my past and I really don't want you to know that part of me."

"It won't make me change how I feel…"

"I know that but it is a part of my life I am ashamed of. In a nutshell I was stupid and used drugs to calm my brain and allow it to reach its full potential. Foolishness on my part, anyway back then I was trying to hone my talent and I would do anything to be the best. And I mean anything." He says looking down at her and she nods in understanding and is glad he was not going to divulge any further. "I closed myself off from everyone I knew as I tried to get clean and I decided then that I would not let anyone in as I knew I would cause them pain and people clouded my head. People always get hurt around me. I hurt them even though, most of the time, I don't mean it. I have hurt and continue to this day to hurt my closest and best friends. My job means I will always have people coming after me and if I get close to people they will be at risk. You and John included." He says and molly nods sadly. "You and John are the only two people who have liked me for me. Like John you have liked me despite my short comings, of which there are many." He says and Molly smiles. "You Molly Hooper have always believed in me and trusted me although I have given you no reasons in the past for you to even put up with me. That is something I have only had with one other person…"

"John?" Molly asks and Sherlock nods.

"My relationship with John has always been easy, we are friends and he is loyal and a great man. With John though there are no feelings involved, unlike with you." He says and he runs his hand down her arm and watches as goose bumps rise on her skin. "With you there are feelings." He looks into her eyes and she blinks at him mesmerised by his honesty. "You have always believed in me and you have shown me that I should not be afraid of letting people in. I am never going to be the best person to be around and I will be aloof and disappear for days on end. I have issues many, many issues but I want to do better. I need to do better. It is you that has shown me that Molly. You have awoken something inside of me that I thought was long dead."

"Sherlock I…"

"Molly, please let me try. I cannot guarantee I will be any better…"

"Sherlock stop!" Molly says her eyes stinging. "Please stop, I don't want you to change. I like you as you are, I always have. How you have been has never bothered me it was just the cruel things you said."

"I never really meant them." He says and Molly smiles.

"Yes you did."

"I didn't not really, I suppose you could call it my way of trying to distance myself further from people. Picking out any little flaws making me not become to attached." He says trying desperately trying to explain how his brain worked.

"But you were always so horrible to me." She says and he nods.

"I know and I think that was because I knew I could become attached to you Molly." He says and she frowns. "Before all of this I couldn't think of anything worse than becoming to emotionally involved with someone. I was already pushing the boundaries with John and he was constantly being threatened because of out relationship. Can't you see how I thought it logical to not befriend anyone else? I had my hands full with John." He asks and Molly nods.

"I understand but why are you saying all of these things. Is it because I might die in a week and you want me to feel like you trust me or do you want me to feel loved? Is that what this is?" Molly asks cringing dreading the answer. Sherlock stares at her and realises then how someone could be so hurt by words.

"No Molly it is not because of that." He takes hold of her hand and places it on his chest. "Do you feel that?" He asks and she nods when she feels his skin heat up and his heart flutter under her palm. "I am scared." He says and she looks up at him and frowns. "What I feel for you makes me scared Molly." He says and Molly smiles, to her that was as good as him saying he loved her. She lays her head on his chest and wraps her arm over his stomach. He wraps and arm around her shoulders and kisses her hair.

"Thank you." She says and he chuckles making her head bounce on his chest.

"Good night Molly." He says and she smiles as she listens to his slowly steadying heartbeat and she closes her eyes and lets it lull her into a peaceful sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you everyone for the reviews, follows and favourites. I really appreciate it. to all who I didn't message my thanks to, thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. **

* * *

Molly wakes in the morning with a smiles plastered on her face as she remembers the night before, she opens her eyes and rolls over reaching out for Sherlock but her hands hit nothing but blankets. She smile vanishes when she thinks that she has imagined everything and when she sits up to rub her eyes and the sheets fall onto her lap she smiles again when she realises she is naked.

"Not a dream." She says happily and she chuckles and bounces around like and excited child. She throws the covers off herself and looks at herself in the mirror. The person looking back at her is so unlike herself. She looks happy and she is blushing and quite honestly glowing. She hears Sherlock in the other room and bites her lip and smiles to herself in the mirror.

"Round two." She says to herself and she grabs the sheet and wraps it around herself and piles her hair on her hers and tries to make it as sexy as she can. She smiles at herself pleased with the results and she walks out of her room feeling like a million dollars.

"Sherlock?" She calls seductively and she smells coffee, making her mouth water and she smiles.

"I am in the living room." He calls and she adjusts herself under the sheet and pushes the door open. Sherlock looks up from the laptop and his eyes widen and he smiles. His eyes dart to the kitchen door, "You may want to get changed…"

"Good morning Miss Hooper." Comes a familiar brisk voice and Molly cringes. She slowly turns around and meets the cold calculating eyes of Mycroft Holmes.

"Mr Holmes!" She squeaks and she hears Sherlock chuckle. She ducks around Mycroft and darts into her room slipping on and nearly losing the sheet in the progress. She thankfully reaches her room unscathed but utterly humiliated and she hears Mycroft scalding Sherlock.

"… I mean you have been alive less than twenty-four hours and you have already got your end away." He says and Molly cringes again.

"Mycroft do not talk about Molly like that!" Sherlock snaps and she smiles.

"Well, well has my baby brother got a little crush?" Mycroft says and Molly can just imagine Sherlock's eyes rolling.

"Oh grow up Mycroft. That is not the reason I brought you here."

"Oh and what would the reason be?"

"We will wait for Molly to get dressed and then we will talk." Sherlock says in a carrying voice and she knows he knows she was listening to their conversation and she rushes to get dressed.

Sherlock smiles when he hears her crashing around her room as she gets changed and his eyes meet Mycroft's narrowed ones and he knows he is trying to read him and he doesn't like it.

* * *

Molly quickly gets changed and tries to brush the snarls out of her hair and she gives up and throws it into a pony tail and heads back into the living room. The room is deadly silent as the brothers stare each other down. Molly clears her throat unintentionally and Sherlock blinks and pulls his eyes from Mycroft's and smiles up at her. She smiles back and feels her legs turn to jelly as she really takes him in, the sight of him with a rumpled t-shirt, jeans, no sox and some pretty wild sex hair was almost enough for her to jump him right there. She bites her lip as he arches and eyebrow at her and Mycroft sighs.

"If you are quite finished." He says sounding dreadfully bored Sherlock frowns and stares at him while Molly looks down at the floor and mutters about going to grab a coffee.

"Oh shut up Mycroft." Sherlock says as Molly reenters the living room after pouring herself a black coffee. Sherlock moves over on the couch and he smiles up at her as she makes her way over to him. She sits down and sips at the coffee and smiles nervously at Sherlock and then turns to Mycroft who is observing them with a frown. Molly looks down at her knees as the realisation of whom she is sitting across form dawns on her. Mycroft Holmes, one of the most important people in the British government and Sherlock's brother. She cringes when she imagines how confused and furious he must be first to find out her brother is not dead but then to learn that she knew all about it.

"Would someone like to fill me in on what the hell is going on?" He snaps and Molly glances up at him, his eyes are burning into her. She turns to Sherlock who nods and turns to Mycroft.

"Well I am alive." Sherlock says and Mycroft breathes out loudly through his nose, like an angry bull.

"I can see that brother. You could imagine my shock this morning while over my tea and toast I get a message that could only be from you. My dead brother." He says and Sherlock smiles. "How did you do it?" He asks and Sherlock looks at Molly.

"It is quiet brilliant." Sherlock says and he goes into fine detail about the fact he knew Moriarty planned to have him kill himself, the greatest shame. Especially after he had succeeded in making people doubt him and think he was a fake.

"Thanks for that brother." Sherlock says and Mycroft has the good grace to look mortified.

"It was not my proudest moment." Mycroft says and Sherlock scoffs. He goes on to tell him about Moriarty pulling the gun and blowing a hole in the back of his head but not before telling him no matter what happened if he didn't die three of his nearest and dearest would be killed. He explains the details of his fake death and how he knew the laundry was picked up at that time in the morning and that if he had any chance of surviving he would need help. He turns to Molly again and smiles down at her.

"I thought you might have had a hand in it." Mycroft says looking angrily at her. Molly could understand his anger but it didn't make her any less frightened of him.

"Molly helped me yes I went to her knowing she would help me no questions asked. She is not to blame." Sherlock says.

"She lied!" Mycroft says loudly. "She cried at your funeral. She kept it from us. She is as much a part of this as you are Sherlock."

"She played her part well, as I asked her to. Don't think for one minute that she didn't regret it or want to tell someone every minute of the day." Sherlock says springing to her defense. "She saved three lives in the progress Mycroft."

"But she broke about fifty laws." Mycroft says in a tired voice.

"Irrelevant, she helped bring down one of the worst criminal masterminds that _you_ helped destroy me and she is going to help you catch the next big player in this game." Sherlock says and Mycroft frowns.

"Oh and how is she going to do that?" He asks feeling frustrated. Sherlock looks down at Molly who has gone quiet and pale and is gripping her coffee cup tightly.

"Sebastian Moran has asked her to work for him." Sherlock explains and Mycroft's eyebrows shoot up.

"Really?" he asks sitting forward in his chair looking at Molly and she nods.

"Yes he offered me a job, he said I could work for him or not. But he said that if I don't he would…"

"Kill you." Mycroft says rubbing his chin and sitting back. "Hmm, he always was quite blunt."

"You know him?" Molly asks before she can stop herself.

"Of course I know him, I know everyone worth knowing." Mycroft says with a sigh. He looks at both Molly and Sherlock who are looking at him expectantly and he crosses his legs and sighs. "Colonel Sebastian Moran is a vicious and deadly man. He is a sniper by trade but that is not the limit of his ability. He served in Afghanistan and was dishonourably discharged after it was discovered he has taken to torturing POW's. He was also found to have shot to wound and not kill in a some situations. It was never proven but we now know that was because Moriarty made it so. The witnesses in the trial all turned up dead in a number of gruesome and imaginative ways. Moran was not seen again for a long time and that is when we found out that Moriarty had recruited him. James Moriarty may have been the mastermind behind all his schemes but Moran was the deadly one. Anything James wanted done Moran would see to it that it was done."

"He was one of the gunmen ready to take down either John, Mrs Hudson or Lestrade." Sherlock says.

"I don't doubt it. I imagine her was stalking your dear John. He will have wanted to see you die for himself. When he saw Moriarty die he will have been in charge and as soon as he saw you fall he called off the killings." Mycroft says and Sherlock nods.

"Was it him who stole Moriarty?" Molly asks and Mycroft frowns.

"How do you know about that?" He asks glancing at Sherlock and he shrugs.

"Greg let it slip." Molly says and Mycroft sighs.

"Is nothing secret in this retched world?" Mycroft groans.

"Was it ever?" Sherlock asks and Mycroft arches his eyebrow.

"Apparently not, I have to make a few calls. Clean up this mess." Mycroft says standing up.

"I'm sorry." Molly blurts out and Mycroft turns to her frowning. "I am sorry I lied and I am sorry for all the laws I have broken and well everything." Mycroft stares at her and sighs.

"I cannot blame you really, he has his ways." He says

"No one can know I am alive Mycroft." Sherlock says quickly Mycroft sighs.

"You see?" He says and he closes the door behind himself.

"He hates me." She says and Sherlock takes the coffee out of her hand and places it on the table and she turns to him.

"Mycroft hates everyone. He only just tolerates me." He says and she rolls her eyes.

"He loves you."

"Love? I don't think so."

"He does, he is pleased you are back. That is why he is so mad."

"He is mad because he is pleased I am alive?" Sherlock asks frowning.

"It sounds weird when you say it like that but yes."

"Now you understand why I find emotions difficult?" He says with an exasperated sigh and Molly smiles.

"People are confusing." She says and he nods and then smiles.

"You looked lovely this morning." He says and he kisses her wrist and she smiles shyly at him and he chuckles.

"I wondered where you were this morning. I thought I had dreamt last night." She says and she smiles.

"I didn't sleep. I had a lot to think about and apparently sex helps to clear my head. Who knew?" He says with a smile making her blush.

"Glad I could be of some help." She says and he leans over and presses his lips too hers. She feels electricity shoot through her as his hand grips hers and he draws her closer to him. She gasps as he pulls her onto his lap and nips on her bottom lip.

"Sherlock…" She gasps as her runs his hose along her jaw.

"Yes?"

"Your brother,"

"What about him?"

"He is in the other room."

"He is in the hall actually." He says sucking her earlobe. Her eyes close and she runs her hands through his hair and snatches his hair back making him groan and look up at her. She leans down and kisses him and he waists no time and his tongue meets hers making her moan.

Molly breaks away when she hears Mycroft walking up the hall. She climbs off of him and straightens her clothes. Sherlock sits back and watches her getting all flustered and smiles when she squirms in her seat. He leans forward and whispers in her ear.

"Have I made you uncomfortable?" He asks and she turns to him and narrows her eyes. The door opens and Mycroft stares between them.

"Oh really you two, what age are you sixteen?" He scalds and Molly burns crimson while Sherlock just grins stupidly.

"So what does the powers to be have to say?" Sherlock asks as Mycroft sits down he looks down at his trousers.

"We are willing to over look the gross lack of concern for the law if Miss Hooper is willing to help us." Mycroft says and Molly smiles.

"Yes I will help." He says and she smiles round at Sherlock who is staring at Mycroft with a stony look.

"No Mycroft." Sherlock says firmly and Molly frowns.

"There is no other alternative."

"There must be, she cannot do this."

"Do what?" Molly asks frowning between the brothers.

"It is to dangerous, so much can go wrong."

"We have considered the risks and we are all in agreement that it is a risk we must take." Mycroft says.

"No!" Sherlock says more firmly.

"Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Molly asks really hating their private little conversation. Neither of them speaks and she sighs. "Sherlock?" She says but he cannot look at her.

"Tell her." He says to Mycroft and Molly frowns and turns to the older brother.

"You are to accept the job and to arrange to meet him to talk." He says also not looking at her. "From there we will take him down." Mycroft finishes and Molly stares at him wide-eyed.

"So I am to be b-bait?" She says trying to stay calm.

"You see Mycroft she can't do it." Sherlock says desperately and Molly frowns.

"I have to do it." She says her mouth opening without her first vetting her words. Mycroft turns to her with a look of surprise.

"Molly, think about what you are saying." Sherlock says sitting forward and turning to her.

"I would rather not. Is this the only option?" Molly asks Mycroft and trying desperately not to look at Sherlock, whose eyes are burning into her, as she knows her resolve will crumble.

"This is your only option." Mycroft says and Molly hears Sherlock's teeth clench.

"It is not!" He says through his teeth. "There has to be another alternative."

"Like what?" Molly asks and Sherlock freezes when she turns to him. "We need to get this man and I am the only one able to lure him in." Molly says and Sherlock closes his eyes and shakes his head.

"No."

"Sherlock be reasonable…"

"Stay out of this Mycroft." He snaps and Mycroft sits back.

"Please Sherlock let me do this. We can end this." She says and he frowns. "You can come back go home to Baker Street. You can see John again." She was hoping this would sway him and when she saw his face relax at the mention of John's name, she knew she was winning him over.

"You would do that for me?" He asks and she nods.

"I doubt there is a limit to what Miss Hooper would do for you brother." Mycroft says and Sherlock closes his eyes and sighs.

"You could die." He says in a quiet voice and Molly nods.

"If I don't do anything I will die anyway." She says and Sherlock opens his eyes and they meet hers. "I would rather die trying to stop a mad man than be tortured to death."

"Molly stop." Sherlock says and she grips his hand.

"You would let John do it." She says and he frowns.

"Well I don't… John is a skilled fighter." He says his pale cheeks flashing red.

Mycroft stares at his brother in surprise. He cannot quite believe the strength of the feelings his brother has for the young doctor. He can see Sherlock struggle to understand them as well and for the first time in is life he feels pity for his brother.

"Can we discuss this later?" Sherlock asks and Molly sighs but nods. Mycroft looks between them and clears his throat not enjoying this uncomfortable moment it the room. They both turn to him and he gives them an awkward little smile.

"I will give you the day to think about it." Mycroft says standing up again and Sherlock follows suit. As far as Molly was concerned her mind was made up but she knew Sherlock was going to take some convincing.

"Thank you Mr Holmes." She says and he nods.

"I shall see myself out." He says and he turns and slowly makes his way to the door and freezes. Molly watches as he twiddles his fingers against his thigh and he turns to Sherlock. "I am glad you are not dead." He says and molly peers up at Sherlock who looks startled.

"I… well…" Sherlock stammers and Mycroft nods.

"Right." He says looking awkward. "I'll be going." He says quickly and her turns and marches down the hall and Molly frowns. She has never seen quiet an awkward exchange between family before and as she hears the door close she looks up at Sherlock.

"Is it always that… awkward between the two of you?" She asks and he frowns.

"Always." He says and he sits back down heavily and puts his head in his hands. Molly stares at him while he taps his fingers against his skull and she sighs. She knows he is going to be like this for some time and she stands up and heads into the bathroom to leave him with his thoughts.

* * *

The hot water is soothing on her tense muscles she lets it wash over her as she fights the urge not to cry at the hopelessness of her situation. She shudders despite the heat at the thought of having to go and meet Sebastian Moran and how risky it is going to be. She knows that the self-defense classes she took will be useless against this man. _You are going to die. _Her brain says and she laughs at the fact that it was probably right. There was no way she was going to be able out maneuver this man or even outsmart him. She takes a shaky breath and rinses the tears of fear that spill from her eyes. She grips the wall as the fear courses through her like a poison, weakening her and making her body tremble. She feels her heart beating against her chest and her stomach heaves trying to expel the fear but her empty stomach just clenches painfully. Her legs tremble and she has to lower herself onto her knees before she falls and she sobs loudly quickly covering her mouth to muffle the sound.

The water hits of her back as her shoulder shake with violent sobs and she gasps when she hears a light knock on the door.

"I am just coning." She says as cheerfully as possible.

"Molly?" Sherlock says his voice close, at the other side if the curtain. She gasps and he draws back the curtain.

He looks down at her and he frowns. She looks so small and utterly terrified as she stares up at him and he doesn't like it. He snatches up her towel and switches off the shower and drapes her towel over her shoulders.

"Come on get up." He says and she takes his hand and allows him to pull her to her feet. She looks everywhere but directly at him. The embarrassment she feels is indescribable and cannot bare to see his disappointment. To her surprise he wraps her towel around her and picks her up. He cradles her against his chest and carries her from the hot bathroom and into her chilly bedroom. Her teeth begin to chatter in her head and Sherlock puts her down lightly.

"Let's get you dried." He says and molly nods. He pulls the towel from her shoulder and starts to pat her dry. Her teeth are still chattering and she tries to clam herself, she focuses on the feeling of Sherlock's patting her down and eventually her teeth stop chattering. She finally looks at him and she is shocked to see, not disappointment, but worry.

"Sherlock," She says in a small voice and he stops patting her waist and looks up at her, "you know I have to do this right?" She says and he frowns.

"I know," he says, "doesn't mean I have to like it though."

"I am going to need your help."

"You have me. Anything." He says and she nods.

"I need to learn to try and defend myself." She says and he nods.

"I can teach you that." He says and she smiles and stands on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He says and he wraps her in her towel again and she smiles. "Get dressed, we will start now."

For the fifteenth time in three hours Sherlock had successfully and easily sent Molly tumbling to the floor. She groans as she lands and slams her hands on the floor in frustration.

"I am never going to get this!" She says angrily as Sherlock stares down at her with his hands on her hips. Molly had started this laughing and messing around but she soon found out Sherlock was not in a playing mood and she got more and more frustrated the more he tore into her.

"You need to focus Molly, pretend I am not me." He says and she scoffs. "Don't be frightened of hurting me. Come on I know you can do it." He says pulling her up and she winces as her achy body moves. She glares at him thinking about how much she really wants to hurt him now. "You need to try harder."

"I am trying." She says angrily and he smiles.

"That's it, imagine I am being horrible to you, remember everything horrible I ever said to you… think of me as Jim from IT." He says desperately trying to stir some anger in her. "He used you Molly used you to get to me. He never liked you…" He sees her eyes flash and he smiles, "… that's it get mad Molly." She stares at him and she can feel her blood rushing through her veins and anger bubbling in her stomach.

She thinks of all the people who have doubted her, she thinks about her dad dying and then about 'the woman' in Sherlock's life, Irene Adler and she clenches her jaw. She swings her arm and Sherlock catches it easily.

"Not good enough, you will die if you cannot…" Molly grabs hold of his arm and uses all of her strength to drive her knee between his legs. His eyes widen and he groans dropping her hand. He falls to his knees and shoves him onto the ground and steps over him. She storms from the room and grabs her phone and keys. She swings open the front door and slams it loudly making it bang loudly and echo around the hallway. She runs down the stairs with the ringing bang still humming in her head and she steps out into the street and runs.

She keeps running to adrenaline still pumping through her veins. She has never been so angry in her life and she doesn't like it. She knows Sherlock was only trying to help but it doesn't make her feel any better. He had brought up every horrible though and little insecurity she has about herself and she hates that.

She eventually slows down when it starts to rain and she enters a little café to escape the rain that is getting heavier by the second. She sits down pulling out her phone and sees she has two messages, ignoring then se pulls off the cover and pulls out the twenty she keeps in there for when she forgets her purse. She orders a slice of chocolate cake and a large hot chocolate and the waitress smiles down at her.

"Had a tough day?" She asks and Molly smiles up at her and nods.

"You have no idea." She says and the waitress pats her on the back.

"I will bring your order right out." She says and Molly smiles gratefully.

"Thank you." She says and her phone buzzes on the table, she sighs and picks it up and opens Sherlock's messages.

WHERE ARE YOU GOING? SH

LET ME KNOW WHERE YOU ARE. SH

DON'T THINK I WONT COME LOOKING FOR YOU. SH

Molly rolls her eyes and is about to put her phone down when it buzzes in her hand.

PLEASE MOLLY. SH

She frowns and types a quick message.

**_I am just grabbing something to eat. M_**

She bites her lip while she awaits a reply and the screen lights up.

OK. SH

**_Are you ok? M_**

I AM FINE YOU JUST CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD. WELL DONE. SH

Molly smiles and puts her phone away as her cake and drink comes over. Her mouth waters as the cake is placed down in front of her and she smiles at the waitress.

"I gave you the biggest slice." She says with a wink Molly chuckles.

"Thank you." She says picking up her fork. She digs into the soft sponge and smiles as she chews on it. _Chocolate a girls' real best friend._ It takes an embarrassingly short time to finish the huge slice and she pushes the plate away with a satisfied sigh. She takes to watching the rain as she cups her hot chocolate in her hands. She watches people runs around trying to avoid the lashing rain and she is startled out of her little bubble when her phone vibrates against her hip.

COULD YOU GET A CAB HOME? SH

**_I feel like walking. M_**

BUT IT IS RAINING. SH

**_I know but it may be my last rain so I want to enjoy it. M_**

She doesn't receive another text and she takes that as his acceptance of her plan. She pays for her food and thanks the waitress before stepping out into the heavy rain. Her t-shirt is soaked almost instantly and the bouncing rain soaking her shoes just as quick.

She takes the long way back to her flat through the park and slowly walks through it smiling to herself just enjoying the smell of the rain and the wet grass. She gets some strange looks from harassed passers by as she walks along the streets. There are people who are hiding in bus stops, under news papers or are huddled under umbrellas all looking miserable. Molly smiles at them as she passes embracing the cool rain as it runs down her.

* * *

She eventually reaches her building and she sees her curtains twitch and she smiles when she realises that Sherlock was looking out for her. She quickly runs up the stairs and nearly bumps into Jennifer who glares at her.

"Well Molly, don't you look like a drowned rat?" She says and Molly smiles.

"And don't you look like a ten quid hooker." She says and Jennifer's eyes widen and her mouth gapes open and Molly chuckles. "Oh even more so now." She says and she smiles as Jennifer snaps her mouth shut.

Sherlock has his ear pressed to the door and smiles as he hears Molly stick up for herself and when he hears her move towards the door he rushes back into the living room.

Molly walks off and leaves Jennifer behind her and she feels elated. She opens her door and closes it by leaning on it and smiling. Sherlock peers around the corner and she looks down the hall at him.

"Oh you are back." He says innocently and she rolls her eyes.

"I saw you are the curtains." She says and he shrugs.

"I was merely observing." He says and she pushes off the door and walks over to him and he frowns down at her.

"How are you feeling?" She asks and he nods.

"I am fine." He says and she smiles.

"Good." She says and she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down to her. "I am sorry for kneeing you in the crotch." She says and he chuckles.

"I'll survive." He says and she smiles. She presses her lips to his and he wraps his arms around her. "You're soaking." He says against her lips and she smiles.

"Well you had better get me out of these wet clothes then hadn't you?" She says and his eyebrows rise as he smiles.

"If you insist." He says and Molly giggles as he pulls at her t-shirt and yanks it up over her head. It lands with a wet thump on the floor and he makes quick work of the rest of her clothes until she is standing in her hallway naked and he has her pressed against the wall.

Molly breathes heavily as he roams his warm hands over her chilled skin. She pulls at his t-shirt needing more of his warmth and it quickly joins the pile of her clothes. Sherlock picks her up and pins her to the wall with his hips and she gasps as his jeans rub against her heated flesh. She reaches down between them and pulls at his jeans buttons and smiles when she hears them pop open. She proceeds to pull them down as he kisses and nips at her neck. He groans when her finger brush over his hardness and he nips harder at her shoulder making her squirm.

"Give me your hands." He says and she holds them out. He takes her wrists in one of his hands and pins then above her head while he moves his underwear down. Molly's eyes widen and she kisses him soundly when she feels him position himself at her entrance.

"Sher…" She gasps as she pushes into her, "…lock!" She sighs and he smiles against her shoulder. His grip on her wrists tightens as he begins to move and he sighs.

"My god Molly." He groans and she smiles and starts moving her hip with his making him breathe heavily against her chest. Molly's wrists begin to ache as Sherlock's grip tightens as he thrusts harder. She wriggles them free and he lets them go to grab her hips, she holds his shoulder tightly and kisses him.

"Can we move to the bedroom?" She asks and he nods. He pulls out of her and lets her down. He steps out of his underwear and over the pile of discarded clothes, they walk into the bedroom and Molly sits him down on the bed and Kneels in front of him and he blinks down at her.

"Molly you don't…"

"Shh!" She says and she smiles up at him before she takes hold of him making him groan. Sherlock stares down at her as she watches him and he eventually cannot take it and has to close his eyes the feeling of her little hand on him indescribable then his eyes are startled open when he feels her tongue on him.

"Argh!" he groans and she licks at him again before taking him into her mouth. He grips at her hair and the sheet as she begins to move her head up and down. Sherlock makes some glorious noises when she moves faster. He grips her hair a little tight and she moans and his whole body shakes.

"Stop Molly," He says desperately and her warm mouth slides off of him and she sits back and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, "god woman." He says pulling her up and basically throwing her onto the bed. She squeals with delight and he climbs on after her. He kisses her roughly and she squirms beneath him.

She sighs as he takes hold of her mound and slides a long finger downwards making her arch off the bed. He smiles down at her and he slides his long digit into her making her gasp.

"So beautiful." He says with a smile and she feels her face redden. She takes hold of him and his jaw clenches. They both explore and tease each other until they are both breathless.

Sherlock moves over her and she stops him, he frowns and she sits up and lies him down. A small smile plays on his lips as he lies back and she straddles him. She takes hold of him and marvels at how he even fits inside of her and as she slides down she smiles.

"Perfect." She says and she blushes when she realises she had said it out loud.

"What?" Sherlock breathes as he holds onto her hips.

"Nothing." She says and he looks like he is going to question her further but then she moved and his eyes roll back in his head and the question dies on his lips. She leans down and kisses him and his hips twitch when she stops moving for a moment, she smiles and sits up. She keeps her hands on his chest and begins to roll her hips. He grips her hard as she moves slowly on him and he watches her get lost in the feeling of their connected bodies. She looks so natural and beautiful as her cheeks redden and her chest rises and falls as her pleasure builds.

Sherlock had never really understood the need for physical intimacy but as he watches her now, this unexpected sight and the feelings associated with it, the wonder, and the bliss and dare he say it… love? It was no wonder so many people harped on about it all the time.

Molly gasps when Sherlock thrusts upwards and sits up. He warps his arms around her tightly and helps her to keep her rhythm. This new angle feels amazing for them both and she is able to rub herself off his stomach and it is not long before she is calling out his name. He follows soon after with a low growl and they both still and hold each other tightly.

Sherlock lies down pulling her down with him and she ends up lying on top of him using his chest as a pillow and resting her head under his chin.

"We should practice more tomorrow." Sherlock says and Molly laughs. Sherlock looks down at her smiling. "Why are you laughing?" He asks. Molly looks up at him her eyes crinkled with laughter.

"Practice? Is that what they are calling it now?" She asks and he frowns and then realises why she is laughing.

"I didn't mean _sex_ Molly. I meant your self-defense." He says shaking his head.

"Oh," she says biting her lip, "if you insist."

"I do." He says moving the hair out of her face.

"For the record you don't need practice for the other thing."

"Other thing?" Sherlock snorts.

"Yes, _sex_." Molly says in a quiet voice.

"Molly Hooper, are you embarrassed about talking about sex?" He asks giving her a squeeze.

"No I was just trying to give you a compliment." She says and he smiles.

"Thank you." He says and he runs his fingers over her back. "And you are a bloody good shag too." He says and Molly's eyes widen.

"Sherlock!" She squeaks trying to slap his arms but her is to quick and holds her wrists. He rolls them over and pins her hands above her head.

"I may have to do it again just to make sure. I want to be very thorough." He says running his free hand down her side and down to her knee making her shiver.

"Again?" She asks and he nods.

"Again." He says and she smiles as he hitched her knee over his hip.


	7. Chapter 7

**So the final chapter guys and gals. Thank you so much for all the lovely messages and all the follows and faves it has been great writing this story and i hope you have enjoyed it as much as i have loved writing it. **

**So again thank you and enjoy. **

Molly smiles up at the dark ceiling feeling warm and cozy in her big bed with a sleeping Sherlock wrapped around her. His head was rested on her chest, his favourite place to lie while he slept. Over the last couple of nights that is where he ended up as he drifted off to sleep. Molly loved the feeling of his warm breath on her stomach as he breathed lightly.

They had spent the last few days fighting and having some fabulous sex. Sherlock had taught her all he could with out overloading her head. He taught her to use her size to her advantage and if the time came she had to stay small and quick. She had even managed to floor Sherlock by evading him and getting behind him and swiping at his knees making him fall. She was so shocked and proud of what she did that she let her guard down for a second and he was able to pull her down after him. Not that she really minded she was rewarded with a mind blowing orgasm so she still felt she won.

Sherlock's mood had deteriorated over the last couple of days with him becoming more and more quiet for longer periods each time. He never realized he was doing it and unintentionally leaving Molly on her own to worry and make herself nervous. He did apologize profusely when he came to after a long period of quite contemplation to find Molly curled on her chair crying. She was hysterical and it took him a long time to calm her down. He took her into her bed and covered her in her blankets and held her until she stopped shaking. When she came back she apologized and he kissed her and made love to her. She fell asleep in his arms and then she woke the next day with him sleeping on her.

Molly looks over at her alarm and she sighs. She runs her hand through Sherlock's hair and she feels his eyelashes flutter on her stomach making her smile.

"Morning sleepy head." She says and he yawns. Molly wasn't sure there was anything more adorable than a drowsy Sherlock. It was only for a precious few seconds each time he woke with his heavy eyes and his hair all messed up and she was so glad she was able to bare witness to it.

"What time is it?" He asks and she looks back over at the clock.

"Half six." She says and he groans and lifts his head to look at her.

"When do you leave?" He asks and she smiles at him and moves a stray curl out of his eyes.

"In an hour." She says and he nods his face changing from drowsy to business in a flash and she sighs as he climbs out of bed. She watches as he moves around the room searching for his underwear, his cute little butt making her smile. He finds them and puts them on and she pouts, he turns and frowns at her.

"What's wrong?" He asks and she smiles.

"I may never see that butt again." She says and her frowns deeply.

"Don't think like that." He says and she nods.

"Yeah of course, sorry." She says and he nods and turns towards the door and flashes her. She laughs as her leaves and her smile quickly faded.

Molly had come to terms with her mortality. She was well aware that she will more than likely die and despite everything she was ok with it. She had seen her mum and they shared a surprisingly pleasant meal and she listened as her mother talked about her life and barely asking her any questions. Molly was happy to listen, it meant she could just enjoy it rather than face the bombardment of questions that usually ensued. The week with Sherlock had been one of the strangest and best weeks of her life and it was what she would think about when the time came. She had her memories that would be with her forever even if her forever were only going to be another twelve or so hours. She had promised Sherlock that she would fight and she would, and with all her might, but she still held little hope but she would still try.

The plan was for her to go into work like any other day and when Moran got in touch with her she would request to meet him in a public place to talk. Molly was to be fully wired up so they could keep in contact with her at all time and when the time came she would know when to move. She had gone over the scenario a thousand times in her head and each one of them had resulted in her dying and Moran escaping. She had been assured that the government's top marksmen had been hired and this did make her feel a little better.

Sherlock reenters the bedroom holding a tea and some slightly burnt toast. Molly smiles as he hands her it with a sheepish look.

"Still can't work the toaster?" She says and he rolls his eyes.

"It is broken." He says and she chuckles. Sherlock watches her as she eats and finishes her tea.

She struggles to eat as her stomach seems to want to keep emptying its self but she eventually swallows the last bite and Sherlock smiles.

"Best get dressed." He says standing up and taking her plate and cup with him. Molly gets out of bed and Sherlock's eyes roam over her as if committing her to memory and she smiles sadly when she thinks he must think it is as hopeless as she does. He catches her staring at him and he gives her a wide smile and quickly exits the room. He stops in the hallways and leans his head against the wall and sighs.

Molly hears Sherlock sigh and cannot help the hopelessness spread through her and she lets out a long breath and gets dressed. As she brushes her hair and right on time she hears her doorbell ring and she hears Sherlock pad down the hallway and the front door opens.

"Oh for goodness sake could you not have put your clothes on?" Mycroft says and Molly smiles. She heads into the hallway and watches as four people, lead by Mycroft file into her living room each carrying a heavy looking silver brief case. Sherlock brings up the rear and stares after them.

"What will the neighbors think?" Molly says and she chuckles.

"That you are some sort of terrorist or in a criminal gang." He says and Molly frowns up at him. He looks down at her and she rolls her eyes. "Oh, you were joking?" He asks and she sighs.

"Yes, I was."

"Right." He says and he looks back to the living room.

"What are the chances Moran's people didn't see this?" She asks and he shrugs.

"I don't know but this place has been under constant watch since Mycroft's first visit. So quite unlikely."

"Really? The whole time?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you say?"

"I didn't think there was any need." He says looking down at her and she frowns. "Would it have made you feel any better?"

"No I suppose not."

"Are you two going to join us?" Mycroft says from inside the living room. They move towards the living room, "Put some clothes on Sherlock!" Mycroft sighs and Molly smiles up at him. He gives her a little smile and then stalks of muttering to himself as Molly enters her living room or what used to be her living room. It is now filled with monitors and little machines that are flashing and beeping. Mycroft smiles at her wide eyed reaction and claps his hands together startling her a little.

"Isn't it wonderful? All top of the range of course." He says cheerfully and Molly can tell her is enjoying this. "I have missed being out in the field." He says confirming her suspicions. She gives him a tight-lipped smile and tries to listen as he explains what each of the machines do.

* * *

Sherlock walks back into the living room to find it completely changed and he rolls his eyes at Mycroft's flamboyance. He finds Molly standing in amongst all of the people and equipment looking utterly lost. His heart sinks at the sight of her standing there with her hands clasped at her chest like she is frightened she might break something. He walks over to her and places his hand on the small of her back and she jumps. She looks up at him and he gives her a little reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about all this stuff just you focus on your part." He says and she nods. He draws her into his side and she leans against his chest. He looks at his brother and stares at him daring him to say something, he desperately wants an excuse to hit someone, but Mycroft just gives him a curt nod and looks away. This of course makes him feel worse and he swallows hard and looks down at Molly who is staring up at him.

"Excuse me Miss Hooper, we need to get you wired up." One lady agent says and Molly looks at her and then at Sherlock who nods.

"Off you go." He says and he lets her go and she follows the woman into the kitchen so they could have a little privacy.

Molly stands in the middle of her little kitchen holding her baggy shirt up over her chest for the agent to clip the microphone to her bra.

"The beauty of this is that it is completely invisible when wearing a top and even if you aren't it looks inconspicuous and like a part of the bra." She says showing Molly the little flower shaped microphone, Molly nods. "There are no silly packs or wires, just this. It is brilliant." She says and Molly manages a weak smile.

"Yeah it is great." She says and the agent smiles.

"It really is." She agrees and straightens up and Molly tucks her shirt back in. Molly follows the agent back into the living room and finds Sherlock in exactly the same spot as she left him looking miserable. Mycroft steps between them and Molly looks up at him. He holds out a little box and she takes it from him. She opens it to find two tiny wax buds.

"These will be your direct line to us, you will be able to hear everything we say to you. We will have them on the whole day so you can get used to our voices and the noise. It is best as you will act more natural that way." He says and Molly nods.

"Sure."

"We have a tracker on your microphone so we will know where you are at all times." He says and she nods again. "We will hear everything you say and there will be someone watching you at all times. We have eyes everywhere." He assures her.

"Sure." Molly says and she takes the buds from the box and puts them in her ears. She is surprised to find that she can hear everything perfectly. Mycroft nods and takes back the box.

"You will do great Miss Hooper."

"I bet you say that to all the bait." Molly says and she sees Sherlock cringe and Mycroft frowns. "Thank you though. I know you didn't need to help." She adds and he nods.

"It's time." One agent says and Molly's blood runs cold, she takes a deep steadying breath and nods.

"I am ready." She says and she grabs her coat and bag. Sherlock hovers awkwardly while they do their final checks and when they are done Molly smiles at him. She holds out her hand and he takes it without a word. She leads him down the hallway and he grips her hand

"I thought he was gay." The lady agent says and Mycroft shoots her a dangerous look and stares at him. "Sorry sir." She says and she looks back at her computer.

Molly stops at the front door and turns and smiles up at Sherlock.

"Molly…" He says and he sighs when his voice constricts. He frowns at how he is feeling as it is so alien to him and she puts her hand on his cheek. He closes his eyes and he leans his forehead against hers. Molly's eyes start to sting and she presses her lips to his quickly and lets him go. She is out the door before he opens his eyes and when he does he just stares helplessly at the door. He starts when his phone buzzes in his pocket and he pulls it out.

**_Dearest Sherlock, thank you for everything you have done and for the best week of my life. I always have and always will love you.  
Yours always, Molly x._**

Sherlock stares down at the screen, thinking how she must have prepared that text and he sighs as a tear rolls down his nose and lands on the phone.

* * *

Molly sits back in the cab and closes her eyes. That was the hardest thing she had to do, saying goodbye to her mother didn't come close to how heart breaking saying goodbye to Sherlock was. Determined not to cry she takes a deep breath and asks the cabbie to turn on the radio. She laughs loudly when 'going underground' by The Jam comes on and she starts to sing along. It was one of her dad's favorites and kind of fitting for her situation.

"Sorry guys." She says knowing full well that everyone in her flat can hear her horrible singing.

"She has got a sadistic sense of humor." Mycroft says looking up at Sherlock who glares at him.

"Shut up." He snaps and Mycroft looks away and back at the monitors where he can see Molly bobbing her head along to the music.

Molly is unsurprisingly slammed at work, she wasn't quite sure what gave her the impression she wouldn't be but she thought that since she will probably be on of them in a few hours she could have done with an easy day. She didn't even realize the time until her phone rang shrilly and she dropped her tray of tools.

"This is him." Mycroft's voice says in her head and she steps over the tools and picks up her phone.

"Right."

"Remember keep him talking."

"Ok." She says and she hovers her finger over the answer button.

"Act natural…" Mycroft hisses.

"Will you just let her answer the damn phone?" She hears Sherlock snap and she answers.

"Hello Mr Moran."

"Ahhh, Miss Hooper you remembered me. I thought you were avoiding my call." Moran says.

"No I am quite busy is all." She says and she hears him chuckle. "How could I forget you Mr Moran you leave quite a lasting impression." He laughs loudly.

"So I have been told." He says and he sighs. "I take it you have come to a decision about my little offer?" He says and Molly swallows.

"I have."

"Excellent, so what will it be Miss Hooper. A slow torturous death or having a little fun and working under me?"

"I will do it. She says and she can sense his smile.

"You are a smart girl. Either option would have been a suitable answer just so you know. I haven't done a good skinning in a while." He says and Molly chuckles nervously as she readies herself make her demands.

"I- I have a few requests, if you will listen?" She asks shakily and he chuckles.

"Oh you do, do you?" He says with a chuckle. "I will listen Miss Hooper but I will not guarantee I will grant them though."

"Ok well shall we meet to um you know talk business, face to face?" She says and he is quiet for a moment. She chews her lips nervously awaiting his answer.

"Why not?" He finally says and she lets out the breath she was holding. "Shall we say six o'clock for dinner my treat." He says sounding like her is organizing a date.

"Ok." She says feeling slightly overwhelmed that he accepted.

"So we will discuss your other requests over dinner?" He asks.

"Yes." She says quietly.

"Sounds lovely. Signor Sassi's at six then."

"Great." She says and he laughs.

"Oh this is going to be fun." He says and she forces a laugh. "Until then Miss Hooper sorry, doctor Hooper." He says and Molly cringes.

"Goodbye." She says and the line goes dead. She puts the phone downs quickly like she was holding a tarantula.

"Well done Miss Hooper." Mycroft says and she groans and empties her stomach in the sink.

* * *

Mycroft pulls off the headphones and throws them down while cringing. Sherlock stares at the little monitor and watches as Molly comes up from the sink wiping her mouth with her hand and rinsing the sink. He watches her as she cleans up and gets onto her knees to pick up her tools. She wipes away a tear.

"She did well Sherlock. We know where he is." Mycroft says but Sherlock doesn't respond he just stares at the screen with pained eyes.

At half five Molly climbs into the pre-booked cab with fake cabbie who is actually and agent and Molly closes the door.

"Ok Miss Hooper, everything is set up. We have booked out the whole place so you needn't worry you will be surrounded by our side. Every soul in that room is on our side, they have been informed to ignore you until the last second ok?" Mycroft says.

"Yes ok. Did you get him, I mean did you trace him?" She asks.

"Yes we did."

"Good."

"You have done brilliantly, you have been very brave and you have done your country a service. You should be proud." Mycroft says and molly nods mutely and she knows he is telling her this because he doesn't expect her to live through this encounter. "Now you need to remain calm and not let him intimidate you." He adds and Molly chuckles.

"Easy for you to say." She says and he lets out a humorless chuckle.

"It surprisingly is not. We have everything set for every possible outcome you will be looked after." He says glancing over at his brother whose eyes are glued to the screen watching her as she travels to the restaurant. He frowns and turns back to his own screen. "Best of luck Molly." He says and Sherlock's head snaps up and he meets his brother's eyes.

"Thank you." She says and her head falls silent for a moment.

Sherlock drags his eyes from his brother's face as the look of pity starts to make him sick. He has been blinded by this whole thin Mycroft knows she is going to die and he has been blinded by worry and…

"Molly?" Sherlock says and Molly's heart constricts painfully. She clutches her chest and tries desperately not to cry. He sees the emotion and pain flash across her face and it kills him.

"Hey you." She says cheerfully but he can see the agony on her face.

"How are you?" He asks knowing full well she is going to lie through her teeth.

"I am ok, I just want this to be over. She says and she bites her lip hard when it starts to tremble. She covers her face with her hands and rests her elbows on her knees.

"You are being very brave." He says and she lets out a pained laugh.

"I don't know if you would say that if you could see me." She says and Sherlock sighs.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this." He says and she nods.

"I know but I need to do it." She says and he watches as she shakes herself and wipes her eyes.

"I have got something to tell you." He says and she smiles on the screen and sighs.

"How about you tell me when you see me again?" She says and he frowns at the realization that he may never see her again, alive.

"If you want." He says and she smiles and looks around her cab as it slows.

"We are here Miss." Comes the disembodied voice of the agent.

"Sherlock I have to go." She says her voice shaking as she gathers up her things. Sherlock's heart begins to race and he springs up.

"Molly wait!"

"What?" She asks sitting back and frowning a little. He picks up his phone and types a quick message and hits send. He watches as she digs around for her phone and opens the message. The smile that crosses her face makes him smile and she closes her eyes.

"You too Sherlock. For ever." She says and she puts her phone away and sighs. "Goodbye." She says and he stares down at the screen and watches as she vanishes. He picks up his coat and runs from the room.

* * *

Molly climbs out of the cab with the image of Sherlock's text burned into her vision.

I LOVE YOU MOLLY X. SH

She smiles and with that thought she pushes forward and walks into the restaurant. She looks around the brightly lit room and a waiter walks over to her smiling.

"Good evening."

"Hello, I am meeting someone here." She says and he looks at her and she realizes she is a little under dressed for a place like this.

"Their name?" He asks and she smiles.

"Sebastian Moran." Molly says and the waiter's eyebrows rise and he clears his throat.

"Oh yes right this way miss, we have a table reserved for Mr Moran." He says and Molly smiles. She cannot help but think up bad this guy is at undercover but she follows him anyway and looks at all the people sitting seemingly enjoying their meal and many of them stare at her at her outfit. She frowns and turns away from them, they obviously have to get in character with this places regular clientele and by the way they are dressed they are doing a great job. She sees groups of businessmen, a few couples and other groups dotted around. With the sheer number of people in the room she cannot help and feel safe.

The waiter pulls out her chair for her and she sits down.

"I shall go and tell Mr Moran you are here." He says and Molly nods feeling a little shocked that he is already here.

"Thank you." She says and the waiter walks off into another room.

"This is it Molly." Mycroft says and she sips of some water to try and get some moisture back in her mouth.

"Ah, doctor Hooper." Moran says loudly as he approaches her from the side. She puts her glass down and stands up trying to smile. If she had been alert she would have noticed the fine layer of perspiration on his forehead and the tenseness in his jaw before she took his hand for a shake. He squeezes her hand hard and his eyes flash dangerously and he pulls her towards him she gasps and she feels the room fall silent. He leans down and talks into her chest.

"Hello Sherlock." He says and Molly gasps when she feels a piercing pain in her stomach. Her eyes dart to Moran and he smiles and shakes his head. "You think you can play me?"

"Sebastian Moran get down on the ground!" Someone yells and he yanks the knife free but not before twisting it in her. He drops the knife and lifts his hands up before dropping the knife. Molly hears screaming and watches in confusion as the diners all jump up and run away from her.

"Molly?" Comes Sherlock's frantic voice.

"Miss Hooper are you there?"

Molly grips her stomach as she watches Moran being wrestled into handcuffs with a smile on his face. One of the diners rushes over to her and she looks at him and sees his mouth moving but nothing coming out. She looks down at her wound and sees blood trickling out of her and she sways. The man lays her down and she starts to shake and her head lolls to the side and see's Moran being dragged away while paramedics rush towards her. Molly tries to focus on what the paramedics are saying and she just blinks before everything goes numb and then her eyes flutter closed.

* * *

Sherlock sprints from the car after parking it on the street. He sees an ambulance and Moran being stuffed into the back of an armoured van. Moran smiles at him, but he has not time for him right now. He ignores his smile and crashes through the restaurant doors and watches as a stretcher is wheeled towards him. He rushes over to it and can't believe his eyes as he watches as a stretcher is wheeled towards him with a covered bloody body on it. He rushes over to it and yanks at the sheet and is met with the gruesome sighs of a young man, the waiter, with his throat slit. he covers the boy back up and spins around and notices Molly being hurried away looking pale and lifeless.

"No." He says and he grabs her wrist and searches for a pulse moving with the stretcher. "What happened is she…" He cannot say the word.

"She is alive but only just." One of the paramedics says and he lets out a little moan of relief. "Mate you need to let her go we need to get her to hospital." Sherlock lets got of her and he follows the stretcher out of the restaurant.

"What happened?" Sherlock asks and the paramedic looks at him as he climbs into the ambulance after him.

"Who are you?" He asks. "Only family or friends allowed in the ambulance." He says and Sherlock frowns.

"I am coming she is my… she is mine." He says and the paramedic sighs and closes the doors. The ambulance starts up and the paramedic treats Molly.

"It's a stab wound." He explains and Sherlock nods, he had deduced that himself but he didn't really want to hear it spoken aloud. Sherlock takes her hand through the ride to the hospital and watches the slow painful looking breaths Molly takes. They finally arrive at the hospital and the doors are thrown open and they are met by a small crowd of nurses and Molly is quickly wheeled away.

"Where are you taking her?" Sherlock says as he climbs out of the ambulance.

"Into surgery." One nurse says and Sherlock stills in the doorway and watches as Molly is whisked around the corner. He cannot seem to move and he feels a light hand on his arm and he looks down into a familiar face.

"Hello Sherlock." She says and he frowns trying to place her name.

"Nurse Morstan?" He says and she nods he looks at the sign "Brekenham Beacon Hospital" and sighs.

"Was that…"

"Molly yes." He says and she puts her hand on her heart.

"Oh dear what happened?"

"Stabbed." Sherlock say shortly and she shakes her head. He looks down at her and she does look concerned and he frowns at her. "You said Sherlock." He says narrowing his eyes and she looks at him guiltily.

"Yeah," she says and she bites her lip. "I knew it was you, you have a very recognisable face." She says with a shrug and his eyebrows quirk. "Fine, I liked your cases so sue me." She says reddening a little. He frowns at her.

"You covered for me?" He says and she looks around the practically empty emergency room. She nods and she opens her mouth to defend herself. "Thank you." He says and she stares at him and smiles.

"You're welcome Mr Holmes." She says and he nods. "Come with me and I will get you to the waiting room and fix you a cup of sweet tea." She says practically dragging him. He allows himself to be pulled along as she steers him through the corridors.

"That really isn't necessary." He says as she opens a hallway door.

"Doctor's orders." She says and he arches his eyebrow.

"You're a nurse." He says and she looks at him through narrowed eyes.

"Just sit." She says practically pushing him into a chair and she walks off and disappears. She returns some time later with a polystyrene mug with filled with steaming weak tea. She hands him it and he nods gratefully.

"Thank you." He says and she nods.

"I have to get back to work but I will come and check on you when I can."

"I am not the one dying." He says and she just gives him a little smile and puts her hand on his shoulder.

"She will be fine Sherlock." She says and he sighs.

"You don't know that."

"I have faith in science and I know she will want to stick around for you." He looks up at her and she smiles.

"Sherlock?" Mycroft calls from the next hallway and he and Mary look towards his voice. He pushes through the doors and he sighs when he see's Sherlock staring at him. Mary squeezes his shoulder and Sherlock nods at her.

"I will leave you alone." She says and Mycroft watches as she walks away.

"Thank you." Sherlock's says after her and she turns and smiles.

"Try not to worry." She says before she rushes off. Mycroft sits down next to Sherlock and sighs.

"Any news?" He asks and Sherlock grinds his teeth.

"You mean is she dead?" He asks tightly and turns and meet's his brother's worried eyes. "She is in surgery. What the hell happened Mycroft? How did he know?" He asks trying desperately to rein in his fury and Mycroft sighs.

"The raid, it had to be moved forward." He says and Sherlock stares at Mycroft in disbelief.

"Did you know?" He asks his tone dripping danger. Mycroft nods and Sherlock stands up and his tea is thrown against the wall. "And you still sent her in there?" He rages and Mycroft has the wits to move out of his way.

"We hoped…"

'You hoped! What that he wouldn't find out?" Sherlock yells.

"We thought we got everyone."

"Clearly…" Sherlock pauses as a group of nurses pass, "… you didn't." He says his voice low and tense. "You told me you had a room full of armed guards in that restaurant."

"We had enough." Mycroft says and Sherlock clenches his jaw.

"Two, you had two and now because of you that young man is dead and Molly is in there fighting for her life."

"Who was it that got her involved in all of this in the first place?" Mycroft spits and he sighs as Sherlock straightens up at that unexpected blow. "I'm sorry, neither of us are perfect but I had a job to do and Miss Hooper knew exactly what she was getting herself into. The waiter was just a unfortunate casualty." Mycroft says and Sherlock sits back down knowing he was right. He puts his head in his hands all of the fight gone from him and he sighs.

"Your lack of compassion astounds me." Sherlock says and Mycroft scowls.

"Your amount of compassion concerns me brother." Mycroft says. "We are lucky it was only one casualty, Moran normally likes to make more of a scene." Sherlock looks over at him and shakes his head.

"Just go." Sherlock says and Mycroft nods.

"As you wish." He pauses and rocks on his heels, "_When _Miss Hooper wakes, tell her well done." He says and he turns and takes his leave.

* * *

The next few hours are agony, Sherlock takes to pacing up and down and nurse Morstan visits him another time. She brings him a sandwich and forces him to eat it, standing with her hands on her hips and watching him like an angry mother. He obliges but only so she will go away she smiles at him when she leaves again and he sighs.

"Insufferable woman." He says and he resorts back to pacing. He starts to feel tired and sits down for a while and with every noise and opening door he turns to look to see if it is for him but he just gets frustrated. He gives up looking and when he hears hurried footsteps and the door opening he sighs. Then something happens in his head, a memory of the sound of those footfalls and he sits up his face pulling in a little smile and looks at the opposite wall as the person gasps and stops dead fifteen feet away. He turns to look at the indescribably welcome sight if his startled best friend.

"Hello John. He says and John blinks and rubs his eyes like he is dreaming.

"Sh-Sherlock, I don't … Mycroft he said Molly… you're alive!" He splutters and Sherlock nods. "How, how long? _How_?"

"I never died John." He says and John takes a few angry steps forward.

"I saw you fall. I saw you… on the ground… the blood. I SAW YOU FALL!" He shouts and Sherlock cringes a little at the anger in his best friends face.

"You saw what you needed to see." Sherlock says and John gapes at him.

"You absolute… how could you? Do you know what it has been like for me? I have been through hell." He rages and Sherlock stands up.

"I know John and I am sorry." John moves forward again his fists balled angrily and Sherlock backs up. "Before you hit me…" He says quickly making John freeze, "… let me explain." John considers him for a moment and relaxes his fists.

"Fine." He says tightly and Sherlock nods and takes a deep breath.

* * *

"So Molly knew this whole time?" John says angrily, Sherlock nods and John frowns.

"She did it to save you John, she has risked a lot."

"And now she is dying?" He asks and Sherlock nods sadly.

"I hope not, they are operating now." He says.

"So this Moran stabbed her?" John asks and he nods again. "Sherlock this is so messed up. "Why is it people always nearly die around you?"

"I don't know just lucky i guess. John can't you see why we did it?" He asks needing him to understand. If he can get John on side the other will fall into place behind him. John stares at him for a moment and sighs.

"I understand… I still want to hit you. Greg will be pleased, he has been complaining about how much harder his life is with out you." John says and Sherlock smiles as a doctor enters the hallway looking irritated and very tired. He spots Sherlock and John and his eyes widen.

"Mr Holmes?" He asks like he is not quite sure what is going on. Sherlock springs up.

"Yes, that's me."

"I thought you were dead." The doctor says and Sherlock sighs.

"We all did." John says standing by Sherlock's side.

"John Watson, I am a big fan of…"

"How is she doctor?" Sherlock asks loudly and the doctor clears his throat.

"Well the um damage was quite extensive but we have stopped the bleeding. She is in recovery." He says and Sherlock sighs. "She is by no means out of the woods, the next twenty-four hours are going to be crucial..." he goes on but Sherlock is no longer listening. He collapses on a chair and looks up at the ceiling.

"She is alive." He says and John and the doctor stare at him. John turns to the doctor and smiles.

"Is she his girl friend?" The doctor asks in a whisper and John stares at him not sure what t say. "I thought, you two…"

"WE ARE NOT A COUPLE!" John shout and the doctor jumps, "I'm sorry. So," John clears his throat, "can we go and see her?"

"Oh yes of course."

"Thank you doctor." John says and he shakes the doctors hand. The doctor walks off and John frowns at him and then turns to Sherlock. His eyes are closes and he looks strange.

"Sherlock am I missing something?" He asks and Sherlock's lips twitch.

"Don't you always?" He asks and John rolls his eyes. Sherlock digs in his pocket and pulls out his phone John takes it from him unsure he is going to want to see what is on it. Nothing could have prepared him for what he actually was seeing though. He sits down and reads the message again his eyes wide and disbelieving.

I LOVE YOU MOLLY X. SH

John stares at the phone in complete shock, he looks over at Sherlock and he now sees it. He is heart broken, relieved and tired all rolled into one.

"Well... I never saw that coming." He says and Sherlock chuckles.

"I am as shocked as you are." He says honestly and John looks at it again and sighs.

"Sherlock I…" He says but he doesn't know where to start.

"What happens now?" Sherlock asks and John frowns.

"What do you mean?" He asks and Sherlock sighs.

"I don't know what to do John." He says and he looks at him. "I am lost here." John stares at him and looks back down to the message and hands it back to Sherlock.

"This," He says as Sherlock takes the phone his eyes on the message, "Is this real? Did you mean it?" He asks and Sherlock grips his knee and nods. "Right, well go and be with her. Let her know you are here she will want to hear that." John says and Sherlock nods. He stands up and pockets his phone as he walks towards the recovery rooms and John stares after him. Sherlock pauses at the doors and turns around.

"Thank you John." He says and John nods.

"Anytime, now go on." He says and Sherlock nods he marches through the doors and John sighs shakily slumps in his chair gripping his hair. He has never felt so close to breaking point than he does right now. His mind is completely blown by everything. Sherlock is alive! This is the best news he has had in a long time, excluding Molly being ok, that is great too. Sherlock and Molly in love? That was enough to blow anybody's mind. He knew about Molly's feeling but He was not expecting them to be reciprocated. He supposes being so closely connected under that sort of pressure would drive any two people together devein the unlikely paring of Sherlock and Molly. He chuckles to himself and shakes his head.

"Sherlock and Molly." He says to himself he jumps when someone clears his throat.

"I'm sorry, I was looking for Sherlock." She says and he stares up at her, she had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, with her fiery red hair and big green eyes. He gawped at her and she smiles at him. "You are John Watson aren't you?" She asks and he frowns.

"How do you know?" He asks his voice a little higher than usual and he coughs.

"I am a big fan of your blog. Sherlock was in here pretending to be you about a week ago. He is very recognisable when you follow his cases." She says and he shakes his head.

"He was here?" He asks and she nods. "He never told me that." He says and then he laughs. "Well he never told me he had faked his death either until twenty minutes ago so…" Mary looks sadly at him and he smiles. "Never mind that, yes I am the actual John Watson." He says standing up and she smiles and holds out her hand.

"Mary Morstan, lovely to meet you?" She says and he takes her hand.

"You too." He says and she smiles…

* * *

Sherlock stares up at Molly and watches her face and she sleeps and he sighs.

"I am so sorry Molly. I should have been the one there. I should not have let you do this. I am a fool." He says and he feels her finger twitch. He stills and waits for her to do it again but she is still.

"Can you hear me Molly?" He asks and her fingers move and he smiles. "Molly I am here, you are in hospital. Your operation went well, I read the notes." He says and he sees her lips twitch. "Of course I did." He says and she does it again and he chuckles. "Molly you were brilliant, you got him. He is off the streets. You did that." He says and she groans and her eyes crumple. Her heart starts racing and Sherlock buzzes for a nurse. One enters straight away.

"What's wrong?"

"She is waking and she is in pain."

"Ok, we can increase her pain medication but she will go back to sleep." The nurse says and Sherlock nods.

"Ok." He says and she increases Molly's drip and makes a quick note on her chart before leaving again. Sherlock steps towards her bed and brushes the hair out of her face.

"Sleep Molly and I will see you tomorrow." He says and he kisses her forehead. He leans down and whispers in her ear. "I love you."

John Smiles as he rounds the corner and sees Sherlock kissing Molly's forehead. He clears his throat and Sherlock straightens up. He turns and John notices he is a little red faced.

"Did she wake up?" John asks sparing his friend from the embarrassment. There will be plenty of time for that when they are home.

"She was in pain, they have upped her pain medication. She heard me though." Sherlock says and he pulls his chair closer to the bed wit his foot and sits down. John moves into the room and takes the other seat. Across form him and he picks up Molly's chart and reads at it.

"Look like it was a close call, nearly punctured her lung." He says and Sherlock shoots him a look that says, shut up, and he does. "Sorry." He says and he puts the chart down and sighs.

Sherlock frowns and looks back at John and shakes his head.

"What's her name?" He asks and John sits up.

"How do you…" Sherlock arches and eyebrow and John sighs. "Never mind, her name is Mary I got her number." He says with a pleased smile and Sherlock rolls his eyes then they widen.

"Oh John not that nurse?" He says and John smiles.

"She said she met you. You don't like her?" He asks and Sherlock just sighs.

"She is bossy." Sherlock says and John smiles.

"You mean she can handle you?" He chuckles and Sherlock frowns. John sits back and smiles. "Maybe I will ask her to marry me. Any girl who can put up with you is got to be a keeper." He says and Sherlock frowns but then looks down at Molly and cannot help but smile.

* * *

Molly dreams about being at work, she dreams she is doing an autopsy on a young faceless woman. A stab victim and when she looks down at the face again she gasps and drops her scalpel when she recognises herself. She twitches violently and her eyes open. Her stomach aches and she hears muted yells. She raises her hand and a cool hand takes it. She frowns and she looks down.

"John?" She croaks and her throat burns and all the sound of the room comes flooding to her. She hears beeps and hums and the happy sigh John lets out.

"Yeah it's me, here." He says holding a glass of water up for her. She sips at it and smiles.

"Thank you." She says and she sighs. "What are you doing here?"

"Mycroft called me…" There is a loud bang and a crash and then Sherlock appears in the doorway.

"You're awake." He says happily and Molly stares between the two of them.

"You know?" She asks John and he nods as Sherlock comes around the other side of her bed.

"I know." He says and Molly frowns.

"I am so sorry."

"It's ok Molly." He says and she takes a deep breath.

"You should hate me, I wouldn't blame you."

"Well I don't, him on the other hand." Je says jerking his head towards Sherlock and she smiles when he catches him rolling his eyes.

"Yes, yes I am a despicable human." He says impatiently, "How are you Molly?" He asks.

"I have felt better." She says and he nods. She frowns at him while he pretends to look at her machines and avoids looking directly at her.

"John could you just pop to the shop I am sure Molly would like some reading material." He says and Molly frowns at John who is barely containing his laughter as he leaves. Sherlock watches him leave and Molly sighs. She knew it was all to good to be true.

"Sherlock what…" He silences her with his lips and her broken heart swells. She seriously thought something was wrong for a moment and she smiles while he kisses her nose.

"I'm sorry." He says and he kisses her again. "I am so sorry."

"Sherlock it is ok." She says before her kisses her again, "I am ok, and I am alive." She says and he pulls back frowning.

"Only just!" He exclaims and she smiles.

"I wasn't going anywhere." She says and scowls.

"You said goodbye." He says and she looks down at her lap.

"I know but I heard you come for me. I knew I would be ok then." She says and he sighs.

"Just don't do that to me again."

"I really don't intend on getting stabbed again." She says and he groans.

"I thought you were going to leave me." He says and she kisses him.

"So did I for a moment." She says and his eyes close, like he is in pain and she puts her hand on his cheek.

"You are going to be the death of me." He says and she laughs.

"Again you mean?' She says and he smiles.

"What have I got myself into?" He says and she smiles.

"I love you too."


	8. Epilouge

**Epilogue**

"Sherlock are you sure you want to do this?" John asks for the tenth time and Sherlock stares at him and he sighs. "Fine but you better be back for picking Molly up she is getting out today remember."

"I am aware what time she gets out." Sherlock says as he puts on his coat. He smiles at himself in the mirror. "I have missed this coat." He says and John shakes his head and Mary pats his arm.

"Ignore him, you know he missed you more." She says and she kisses him. Sherlock stares at them and frowns.

"Are you going to be here all the time?" He asks and they pull apart noisily and John scowls at him.

"Sherlock." He warns.

"What, it was a legitimate question. I don't want to have to sit and listen to you two kissing all day it is distracting." He says and John gets up.

"Leave." He says and he starts pushing him out of the house.

"Bye Sherlock." Mary says and smiles. "Tell Molly I say hello."

"Move it Sherlock or so help me." John says and Sherlock rolls his eyes.

"I just don't know why she is always here?" He says and John groans.

"She is here because I like having her here."

"You have known her eight days John, she practically lives here."

"Rather her than you." John says and Sherlock stops on the bottom step. "I didn't mean that." He says quickly and Sherlock frowns at him.

"Rude." He says and John tries not to smile.

"Just leave and tell Mycroft I say hello wont you?" He says and Sherlock smiles knowingly at him.

"You mean punch him in the face don't you?" Sherlock asks smiling and John smiles.

"Oh yes." Sherlock marches over to the door and opens it to a blinding flash of cameras.

"Can do John. Can do." He says happily and he shuts the door and marches into the throng of reporters. John smiles and runs back up into the flat.

* * *

"So as you see Sherlock Moran and his men are being dealt with." Mycroft says as he shows Sherlock the videos of his trial. It was a closed trial and Sherlock was not allowed anywhere near it or Moran especially since he got into his cell and beat him almost to death. Sherlock pauses the screen on Moran's face and his blood boils of the sight of his smile the injuries he sustained from his attack still evident but doing nothing to soothe his rage.

"What were his plans?" Sherlock asks and Mycroft sighs.

"Neither he or any of the men have divulged any information on what they were planning." He says and Sherlock stares at him.

"So this is not done?" He asks and Mycroft shakes his head glumly.

"I am afraid not." He says and Sherlock gets to his feet and walks to the door. "Where are you going?" Mycroft asks frowning.

"I am going to where I am needed." He says and Mycroft follows him.

"You and Miss Hooper, that is the real thing?" He asks and Sherlock stops and turns around.

"What if it is?" He asks and Mycroft sighs.

"Just be careful Sherlock, you show weakness that is where they will get you." He says and Sherlock sighs.

"Don't be alarmed big brother, it is only love." He says and Mycroft straightens up.

"Love doesn't alarm me." He says and Sherlock smiles and leans forward.

"How would you know?" He says and before he can second-guess himself he punches Mycroft on the jaw, Mycroft recoils and stares up at him. "A gift from John." Sherlock says shaking his hand and he turns to leave.

"Nice seeing you." Mycroft calls angrily and Sherlock smiles.

"A pleasure as ever brother." He calls over his shoulder and laughs as she walks out of the building.

* * *

Molly waits patiently for her nurse to come back in with her medication and her discharge papers. She glances over the day's papers which has a picture of Sherlock and John and she smiles at the title, THE DYNAMIC DUO RETURN.

The papers exploded when they found out that Sherlock Holmes the shamed and dead detective came back into the spotlight. The whole story came out and the country was divided, some were calling for him to be locked away but there was a greater majority who were glad to have him back. She knew there would be some hype around him for some time to come and that was hard to get her head around.

She puts the paper away and stares around the room she was being kept in for the last week and cannot wait to leave. It was full of flowers and her cards she got were already packed away. She was still in quite a bit of pain but it was noticeably better and she felt much stronger and much happier knowing she was able to go home and sleep in her own bed.

"Molly your boyfriend is here can I send him in?" Her nurse asks peering around her door. She nods and stands up. Sherlock walks into the room frowning and she smiles.

"Boyfriend, I still am not sure about that." He says and she smiles. It certainly did sound odd when referring to Sherlock. He had always been just Sherlock, the man she lusted after and adored in private. Now however, she could adore in public and lust after, well, whenever she pleased.

"I like it." She says and he rolls his eyes.

"You would." He says and she slaps his arm and he smiles. "I can see the headlines now. Sherlock Holmes victim of domestic abuse." He says and Molly chuckles.

"You will be if you don't come here." She says and he smiles and wraps his arms around her carefully. She stands on her tiptoes and kisses him. "Hmm, I feel much better." She says and he rolls his eyes again.

"Kisses were never a good healer, how do you really feel?"

"Better knowing I am going home." She says and he nods.

"Are you ready then?" He asks picking up her bags. "I will have someone bring the flowers." He says as she looks around the room at them. "What's wrong?" He asks and she looks up at him.

"Something is not right." She says and he frowns. "What are you not telling me?" She asks and he sighs.

"It is nothing to worry about." He says.

"Last time you said that I found out you nearly killed Moran." She says frowning.

"Well he nearly killed you so..." He shrugs and he hitches her bag onto his shoulder and she notices his hand is bruised.

"What have you done to your hand?" She asks and he looks at it.

"Nothing." He says hiding his hand. She scowls at him and grabs it.

"This is fresh." She says looking over it. his hands were covered in cuts and bruises but this one was definitely fresh. "You can't trick me Sherlock you forget what i do for a living."

"I punched Mycroft." He says and she rolls her eyes.

"Why?"

"John asked me too." He says and she shakes her head. "Also I really wanted to."

"Will you tell me what is happening?" She asks and he nods.

"Fine," He sighs and Molly smiles, "I saw Moran's trial and he was convicted to life without parole and isolation." He says and Molly smiles.

"That's good." She says and she notices Sherlocks worried look. "Isn't it?"

"It is but he said nothing. He and the remaining men didn't divulge any information. Mycroft is just worrying about repercussions, he thinks someone might try and pick up where Moran left off." He says and Molly nods.

"Oh, well that is to be expected." She says and Sherlock stares at her and she smiles. "What? You think I don't know how criminal gangs work? I have watched a lot of late night television." She says and he shakes his head. "I was single for a long time." She says with a shrug.

"There will be no more time for that." He says and she smiles.

"Oh god I hope not." She says and he laughs. "You will fin them though?" She asks regretting it as the worry is clear in her voice.

"I will find every last one of them." He says and she smiles up at him.

"I know you will." She says and she kisses him quickly and sighs. "Shall we go?" She asks and he nods.

"You ready for this?" He asks and she nods as they leave the room hand in hand.

"Are you?" She asks looking up at him and he smiles.

"I think I have a been a single gay man long enough. Lets go and break some hearts." He says and she laughs at him as he leads her off towards the exit. Molly spots a large group of people with cameras and microphones and she tenses up. Sherlock squeezes her hand and smiles down at her.

"Don't worry I am here." He says in her ear as the automatic doors slide open and the flashes blind her as she steps out into her new life.

THE END

**Thank you everyone who has read this story, you are all great. I am thinking about writing another not decided yet. It will be a continuation of this story, if that interests you let me know guys. **

**Thank you again, Vickie. xx**


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